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Breis is €300 milliún bronnta ar nach mór 5,000 tionscadal

Tá Coimisiún na Meán ag ceiliúradh 20 bliain den scéim um maoiniú craolacháin, Fuaim & Fís. Tá an Scéim, a seoladh den chéad uair in 2005, i ndiaidh ról ríthábhachtach a bheith aici i munlú thírdhreach meán na hÉireann trí thacú le hábhar éagsúil, ábhartha ó thaobh an chultúir de, agus nuálaíoch a chruthú do luchtanna féachana teilifíse agus luchtanna éisteachta raidió in Éirinn.

Le fiche bliain anuas, tairgeadh maoiniú de bheagán os cionn €300 milliún do nach mór 5,000 tionscadal chun cláir a dhéanamh in Éirinn, do luchtanna féachana Éireannacha. Áirítear an méid seo a leanas leis sin: 659 tionscadal drámaíochta, 94 tionscadal beochana, breis is 3,200 clár faisnéise, 268 tionscadal oideachasúla, agus 445 tionscadal siamsaíochta, chomh maith le babhtaí spriocdhírithe maoinithe chun tacú le hearnálacha na meán tráchtála agus pobail. Is foinse ríthábhachtach mhaoinithe fós í Fuaim & Fís chun ábhar Gaeilge a léiriú agus tá os cionn 800 de na tionscadail a maoiníodh rangaithe mar thionscadail Ghaeilge/dhátheangacha.

Ag smaoineamh siar dó ar 20 bliain den scéim Fuaim & Fís, dúirt Coimisinéir Forbartha na Meán de chuid Choimisiún na Meán, Rónán Ó Domhnaill: ‘Tá ríméad orainn ceiliúradh a dhéanamh ar fhiche bliain den Scéim iontach seo, a chabhraigh linn na mílte agus na mílte uair an chloig de chultúr na hÉireann a chur ar an aer. An tseachtain seo, tá seans maith ann go bhfaca tú nó gur éist tú le clár a mhaoinigh Fuaim & Fís. Ó chlasaicí scannáin amhail Hunger, Garage, An Cailín Ciúin, agus Brooklyn, go cláir shuimiúla raidió amhail Building a Ballet agus Mí Cheoil na hÉireann, cláir cheannródaíocha faisnéise amhail Birdsong, Katie agus The Forgotten Irish, agus cláir fhíorspéisiúla teilifíse amhail Aifric, Crá, The Dry agus Shooting the Darkness, tá Fuaim & Fís i ndiaidh dul ó neart go neart le 20 bliain anuas.

Ó Hollywood i gContae Chill Mhantáin go Hollywood, California, táimid bródúil gur ainmníodh sé cinn de léiriúcháin Fuaim & Fís do Ghradam Oscar – Brooklyn, The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, Wolfwalkers, The Breadwinner agus An Cailín Ciúin. Scéim ar leith í seo in Éirinn a chuireann maoiniú ar fáil do léiriúcháin nach ndéanfaí murach an maoiniú seo, i nGaeilge agus i mBéarla araon, lena gcraoladh ar bhonn saorchraolta ar theilifís agus ar raidió na hÉireann.

An bhliain seo chugainn, táimid ag súil leis an gcéad leagan eile den Scéim a fhorbairt le léiriú a thabhairt ar a ról méadaithe mar chuid den Chiste Meán níos leithne agus leanfaimid orainn ag tacú le cláir ar ardchaighdeán a léiríonn cultúr, teanga, agus oidhreacht na hÉireann, ag cur sceitimíní ar luchtanna féachana ar fud na hÉireann sna blianta amach romhainn.”

Tá Scéim Fuaim & Fís ina croílár anois den léiriúchán meán in Éirinn agus tá ró-éileamh uirthi faoi láthair. Ó cuireadh tús le Fuaim & Fís in 2005, rinneadh os cionn 9,300 iarratas a mheasúnú faoin Scéim lenar lorgaíodh tuairim is €656 milliún. Anuraidh, chuaigh 90% den mhaoiniú a chuir Fuaim & Fís ar fáil chuig an earnáil léiriúcháin neamhspleách in Éirinn.

Trína próiseas neamhspleách measúnaithe, déanann an Scéim léiriúcháin a chur chun cinn ina nglacann mná príomhróil chruthaitheacha. Sa bhliain 2024, ba mhná iad 80% de léiritheoirí, 52% de scríbhneoirí, 48% de stiúrthóirí, 30% de stiúrthóirí fótagrafaíochta agus 60% d’eagarthóirí sna tograí teilifíse nó scannánaíochta a maoiníodh faoin Scéim, Ba mhór an tábhacht a bhain le tacaíocht Fuaim & Fís freisin ó thaobh clársceadalaithe a chruthú inar léiríodh guthanna imeallaithe i sochaí na hÉireann, agus tugadh maoiniú faoin Scéim do léiriúcháin amhail Sanctuary, atá suite i ndomhan daoine atá faoi mhíchumas intleachtúil, In Our Own Words a dhíríonn ar throid mhná na hÉireann ar son an chomhionannais, Dating Amber, ar scannán é faoi theacht amach in Éirinn sna 1990idí, agus Pablo, ar sraith bheochana é faoi bhuachaill cúig bliana d’aois a bhfuil uathachas air. Trína chomhpháirtíocht nuálaíoch Cine4 le TG4 agus Fís Éireann, arb é an aidhm atá léi léiriúcháin de phríomhscannáin úrnua Ghaeilge a mhaoiniú, tá Fuaim & Fís i ndiaidh roinnt príomhdhrámaí Gaeilge ar ardchaighdeán a mhaoiniú, amhail Arracht, Báite, agus Fréamhacha/Fréwaka.

I measc mórléiriúcháin eile Fuaim & Fís bhí Kneecap, a bhain roinnt gradam amach agus a thaitin go mór le luchtanna féachana in Éirinn agus ar fud na hÉireann. Tá an Scéim i ndiaidh cláir raidió a mhaoiniú i ngach contae in Éirinn freisin, amhail End of the Line do Radio Kerry, The Rising Sisters do Community Radio Youghal, The Cot Fisher Kings do KCLR FM, Left Behind do Shannonside 104FM, Voices from the River City do Limerick Live 95FM agus Ciarraí Amach de chuid Spin South West. Tá roinnt tionscadail raidió a fuair maoiniú faoin scéim Fuaim & Fís a bhain gradaim amach freisin, amhail The Kinder Letters agus Citizen Lockout 1913 de chuid Newstalk, William Melville and the Barber’s Spies de chuid Radio Kerry agus Francisco de chuid Ocean FM, a ghnóthaigh an duais mór le rá Prix Europa. Tacaíonn an Scéim freisin le Seachtain na Méan san Idirbhliain (IB) i gcomhar le Leaving Waves, ag déanamh meantóireachta ar scoláirí agus ag taispeáint dóibh conas taighde, léiriú agus tuairisciú raidió a dhéanamh.

Maoiníonn 7% d’fháltais ghlana Tháille an Cheadúnais Teilifíse, tríd an gCiste Craolacháin, an scéim Fuaim & Fís. Maoineofar an chéad leagan eile den Scéim tríd an gCiste Meán nua le tacaíocht leantach Tháille an Cheadúnais Teilifíse agus tá Coimisiún na Meán i dteagmháil leis an Roinn Cultúir, Cumarsáide agus Spóirt faoi láthair chun maoiniú ilbhlianta a chinntiú don Chiste Meán amach anseo.

Over €300 million awarded to almost 5,000 projects

Coimisiún na Meán is celebrating 20 years of the broadcasting funding scheme, Sound & Vision. The Scheme, which was first launched in 2005, has played a crucial role in shaping the Irish media landscape by supporting the creation of diverse, culturally relevant, and innovative content for Irish TV and radio audiences.

Over the last two decades, nearly 5,000 projects have been offered funding of just over €300 million to make programming in Ireland, for Irish audiences. These include: 659 drama projects, 94 animation projects, just over 3,200 documentaries, 268 educational projects and 445 entertainment projects, as well as targeted funding rounds to support the commercial and community media sectors. Sound & Vision remains a vital source of funding for producing Irish language content with over 800 hundred of the projects funded classified as Irish/bilingual.

Reflecting on 20 years of Sound & Vision, Coimisiún na Meán Media Development Commissioner, Rónán Ó Domhnaill said: ‘We are delighted to celebrate two decades of this extraordinary Scheme, which has helped put tens of thousands of hours of Irish culture on-air. There is a good chance that in the past week, you have either watched or listened to a programme that was funded by Sound & Vision. From film classics like Hunger, Garage, An Cailín Ciúin, and Brooklyn, engaging radio like Building a Ballet and Irish Music Month, landmark documentaries like Birdsong, Katie and the Forgotten Irish and captivating TV like Aifric, Crá, The Dry and Shooting the Darkness, Sound & Vision has gone from strength to strength over the last 20 years.

From Hollywood in County Wicklow, to Hollywood in California, we are proud that six Sound & Vision productions have been Oscar nominated – Brooklyn, The Secret of Kells, Song of the Sea, Wolfwalkers, The Breadwinner and An Cailín Ciúin. The Scheme is unique in Ireland, funding productions which may not otherwise get made, in both the Irish and English languages, for broadcast free-to-air on Irish TV and radio.

Next year, we look forward to developing the next iteration of the Scheme to reflect its expanded role as part of the broader Media Fund and will continue to support high-quality programming that speaks to Irish culture, language and heritage, thrilling audiences across Ireland for decades to come.’’

Sound & Vision has become a pillar of media production in Ireland, and the Scheme is currently over-subscribed. Since the beginning of Sound & Vision in 2005, the Scheme has assessed over 9,300 applications seeking funding of approximately €656 million. Last year, over 90% of the funding provided by Sound & Vision went to the independent production sector in Ireland.

The Scheme encourages, through its independent assessment process, productions with women in a lead creative role. In 2024, for TV or film projects funded under the Scheme, 80% of producers, 52% of writers, 48% of directors, 30% of directors of photography, and 60% of editors were women. Sound & Vision support has also been instrumental in the creation of programming that features marginalised voices in Irish society and productions like Sanctuary which is set in the world of people with intellectual disabilities, In Our Own Words which focuses on the story of Irish women’s struggle for equality, Dating Amber a film about coming out in Ireland in the 1990s, and Pablo an animation series about a 5 year old boy with autisim were all funded through the Scheme. Through its innovative Cine4 partnership with TG4 and Fís Éireann, which seeks to fund original feature film productions in the Irish language, Sound & Vision has funded several high-quality Irish language feature dramas, such as Arracht, Báite, and Fréamhacha/Fréwaka.

Among other Sound & Vision highlights has been the multi-award-winning Kneecap, which has thrilled audiences in Ireland and around the world. The Scheme has also funded radio programming in every county across Ireland, with examples including End of the Line for Radio Kerry, The Rising Sisters for Community Radio Youghal, The Cot Fisher Kings for KCLR FM, Left Behind for Shannonside 104FM, Voices from the River City for Limerick Live 95FM and Spin South West’s Ciarraí Amach. There have also been several award-winning Sound & Vision radio projects such as Newstalk’s The Kinder Letters and Citizen Lockout 1913, Radio Kerry’s William Melville and the Barber’s Spies and Ocean FM’s Francisco’ which scooped the prestigious Prix Europa. The Scheme also supports Transition Year (TY) Media Week in collaboration with Learning Waves, mentoring students on how to research, produce and report for radio.

Sound & Vision is funded by 7% of the net receipts of the TV Licence Fee, through the Broadcasting Fund. The next iteration of the Scheme will be funded through the new Media Fund with the continued support of the TV Licence Fee, with Coimisiún na Meán currently engaged with the Department of Culture, Communications and Sport to secure multi-year funding for the Media Fund in the future.