
Funding specifically for programming related to climate change and climate action
Almost €5 million has been awarded by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland to broadcasters and programme makers around the country to support the production and broadcast of content which raises awareness of climate change and promotes action and behavioural change to combat it.
Round 44 of Sound & Vision, the Broadcasting Funding Scheme, was co-funded by the Department of Tourism, Culture, Arts, Gaeltacht, Sport and Media and the Department of Environment, Climate and Communications and delivers on a government commitment as part of the Climate Action Plan 2021.
Forty-one (41) applications were assessed regarding the public value they would deliver for viewers and listeners regarding climate literacy, innovation, the quality of the application and the resources proposed and the case made for funding.
A total of 25 applications have been successful and the funding will facilitate the production of ten (10) radio projects (€745,300) and 15 television projects (€4.1m). Documentary and entertainment were the most popular genres funded (45% each), with the remaining projects falling under the education category. Five of the projects recommended for funding are in Irish or are bi-lingual. a quarter of the funded projects are aimed at the 15-34-year age group.
Funded projects include:
- Ours to Protect: A network of 24 local radio stations will come together as part of this project to deliver locally-produced content under the banner of ‘Ours to Protect’. Over 12 months, this will result in 1,248 programmes being produced that will examine the issues of climate change and climate action using the power of local radio to work together to educate and empower behavioural changes.
- The Science of Sense Goes Exploring our Environment: This education series brings listeners on a voyage of discovery through six key environmental elements: Ocean; Inland Waterways; Soil; Air; Forests, and Biodiversity, to understand how we are connected and reliant on them and the actions needed to protect them. Each episode includes a call to action, which, along with scientific discovery, will encourage listeners to become climate action champions. This series will be broadcast on RTÉ Junior / Chill.
- We Only Want the Earth: This series looks at how Irish composers are responding to the climate crisis through their work. It asks questions such as if music can inspire personal ownership and build collective action in reducing our carbon footprint and if story, sound and music motivate us beyond the daily headlines. The series will shape a forum for collective action and hope in delivering change for our shared future. It will be broadcast on RTÉ Lyric FM.
- Off Track: Manchán Magan’s European Railway Adventure: Kicking planes to the curb, travel writer Manchán Magan embraces the joys of slow travel by land and sea as he embarks on an epic, environmentally friendly train journey across Europe. This series will be broadcast on RTÉ One.
- James Kavanagh’s Greenest Homes: In this four-part series, James Kavanagh seeks inspiration for his own eco house journey by visiting some of Ireland’s greenest homes. This series will be broadcast on Virgin Media One.
- An Bradán Feasa: Presented bymarine scientist, Easkey Britton, this documentary series tells the story of how the Irish salmon holds the key to understanding climate change. It will be broadcast on TG4.
- Climate 2050 Live: This show invites the audience to jump into a creative time machine and experience the events of 1st January 2050 through the prism of a present-tense breaking news current affairs programme. It will be broadcast on RTÉ One.
- The End of the World with Beanz: In this weekly show, comedian Martin Beanz Warde will jump head-first into the most significant sustainability and climate action challenges facing Ireland today, while bunking with international communities living in extreme climate disasters. It will be broadcast on RTÉ 2.
- The Climate Challenge: Four teams of transition year students, mentored by environmental experts, will learn about sustainable food, fashion, households and lifestyles and take on a challenge as to who can mount the most effective social media campaign promoting best practice in these areas. This series will be broadcast by DCTV.
Commenting, the Chief Executive of the BAI, Celene Craig, said: “I would like to thank Ministers Martin and Ryan again for securing the additional funding for this round. The BAI believes that the funded projects represent a strong mix of high-quality projects that fulfil the round criteria to raise awareness of climate change and promote action and behavioural change to combat it. All the funded projects will also assist in achieving relevant CAP2021 objectives. There was good engagement by producers and broadcasters in the subject matter of this round. Valuable learning has also been gained regarding climate literacy. This information will be shared with the Broadcasting Sustainability Network and Media Literacy Ireland.
“The Sound & Vision Scheme, funded by the TV licence fee, continues to be a key source of funding for the independent production sector and a valuable source of innovative programming for public service, commercial and community TV and radio services. All the funding for TV projects will go to independent production companies while 6 of the 10 radio projects will be made by the broadcasters themselves.”
A full list of the projects being offered funding under Round 44 of the Sound & Vision Scheme is available to download here.
ENDS
Media contact: Joanne Ahern, DHR Communications, Tel: 087-9881837
All other queries: BAI, 01-6441200.