Sectoral Learning and Development

The BAI has a long-standing strategic focus of supporting the broadcasting sector through learning and development activities.  While the BAI does not deliver training and development activities itself, it has developed a sustainable approach, which focuses on developing and supporting relevant industry networks and the operation of funding schemes, which can in turn provide suitable and appropriate training and development initiatives for their members.  This approach has enabled the BAI to build and support a culture of learning and development within the industry. Investment in learning and development helps broadcasters to respond to the interests and needs of Irish audiences.

The Sectoral Learning and Development Policy provides the framework to enable the BAI to strategically plan, support, measure and evaluate the continued growth of the broadcasting sector, through a variety of training, learning and development activities and approaches within its statutory and strategic remit. For further information on Sectoral Development funding, please email Sectoral development team at secdev@cnam.ie

Each year the BAI provides funding to some selected industry networks to support various learning and development activities. The current list of networks initiatives receiving support are:

• CRAOL – The Community Radio Forum
• Community Television Association (CTA)
• Learning Waves
• Creative Europe Desk Ireland – Media Office Dublin
• Creative Europe Desk Ireland – Media Office Galway
• Screen Producers Ireland (SPI)
• Women on Air
• Animation Skillnet & Animation Ireland 
• National Union of Journalists
• Women in Film and Television
• Writers Guild of Ireland
• Galway Film Centre
• IFTA
• Screen Composers Guild of Ireland
• Screen Skillnet
• ACE Producers

The Community Broadcasting Support Scheme is a rolling scheme open to all Community and Community of Interest radio and television broadcasters in the country. It is designed to offer funding support to enable broadcasters to undertake projects that will advance the organisational development of their stations. Organisational development initiatives which can be funded through the scheme include:

• the review and updating of station policies and procedures to help ensure that stations are well governed,
• the provision of training and development opportunities for station staff and volunteers,
• the building of strong teams and the development of links with the relevant communities to be served, and
• the development of partnerships between community and community of interest stations with a view to promoting a culture of sharing best practices.

Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis and reviewed as and when submitted. Guidelines for applicants and application forms are available to download here. To assist with the application process, a dedicated support email, cbss@cnam.ie has also been established.

The Media Research Funding Scheme provides funding to academics to conduct media related research on topical issues pertaining to the broadcasting industry. It has been designed to:

• develop and maintain links between the BAI, third level institutions and the broadcasting sector
• drive quality research initiatives to provide a strong evidence base to the regulatory environment of the BAI’s work
• provide research that will facilitate the BAI in meeting the needs of viewers and listeners in Ireland.

The following research projects were recently funded under the Scheme:

Auditing gender and diversity change in Irish Media sectors (MU/ MIC/ UCD)

• The final report was published in July 2021 and is available here

RTÉ and Covid 19. Diversity and Inclusion and meeting public needs (DCU/RTÉ)

• The final report was published in August 2021 and is available here

Broadcasting Irish Emigration in an Era of Global Mobility (IT Carlow/UCD) is a report on the importance of broadcast media to those of the Irish diaspora.

• A final report was published in November 2018 and is available here.

This Support Scheme provides funding for training, development and/or evaluation activities up to a maximum of €500 per station. A station can apply for funding for activities that aim to support current training activities or the funding could be used to evaluate the station’s current or previous training, development and / or evaluation activities. An application form can be downloaded here with further information here.

We are also supporting a number of other projects including:

Learning Waves Journalism Graduate Programme

• The Learning Waves Journalism Graduate programme is an internship initiative launched for the first time in 2019. Under the 2021 and 2022 programmes, ten graduates will receive mentorship, hands-on training, as well as development and content creation opportunities while working in one of the country’s independent radio stations. More information can be found here.

Through its Sectoral Learning & Development function, the BAI supports a wide range of projects in the areas of Irish Language, Gender Equality, Diversity and Inclusion. More information is available here.