The CEO of the independent production firm that produces RTÉ’s Dancing with the Stars has stated that the spend by RTÉ’s Independent Production Unit (IPU) has not recovered since 2008 when it was €82m.
CEO of Shinawil, Larry Bass made his comment when asked to comment on RTÉ Independent Productions Annual Report 2024 which shows that the direct spend to independent production firms last year increased by €2.4m or 5% from €44.95m to €47.37m.
When the RTÉ overhead of €1.39m is factored in the total spend in 2024 was €48.77m.
The spend last year was €1.5m over RTÉ’s statutory requirement.
Mr Bass stated that the spend since 2008 “has bobbed along at circa 50%, so the independent sector had a 50% cut in real terms and has not recovered since.”
He said that shows cannot be made for 2008 prices, let alone 50% less “and Irish public television is poorly served but plays in the most competitive market in the world, the English language market”.
Another well known industry figure has stated that no back-sliding should be allowed in the commitment that RTÉ reaches its agreed spend of around €56m this year with the independent sector.
That is according to ex-RTÉ board member, Stuart Switzer and speaking in his role as chair of Unscripted Working Group at Screen Producers Ireland (SPI), Mr Switzer said: “Our industry and political leaders must insist that RTÉ reach their agreed spend – circa €56m in 2025 – with the independent sector which was agreed as part of the exchequer bailout.”
He said: “We must not allow any back sliding or lack of transparency in this matter.”
Mr Switzer served as an independent non-executive director on the RTÉ Board from 2010 to 2015 and as an independent producer since 1986 and is now retired from his role at Coco Content, which produces the likes of Room To Improve and First Dates for RTÉ.
Mr Switzer said that he expects the new Government Section 487 incentive for the unscripted industry here to come into force towards the end of 2025.
He said: “It is a wonderful opportunity for the unscripted industry in Ireland to develop and emulate the success of our colleagues in the scripted industry, but it must be used as a benefit to the producer to create and develop Intellectual Property (IP), and not end up as another subvention for our domestic broadcasters.”
The new RTÉ report shows that television commissions with a value of €30m, representing 62% of the value of new 2024 television commissions, were awarded to 10 independent production companies.
The report states that a further sum of €7.4m or 15% was awarded to a further 10 independent production companies.
The report states that in addition to the €48.8m committed by RTÉ to new television commissions in 2024, producers of RTÉ commissioned programmes attracted funding from other sources and the total value of this additional funding on 2024 contracts was €35m.
The report states that thus, the total value of RTÉ independent television programming activities in 2024, inclusive of all third-party funding, was €83.8m.
The report shows that one of the firms to secure commission funding last year was Kite Entertainment for the 12 hours of The Traitors Ireland and that is due to be broadcast later this year on RTÉ.
The report also shows that Larry Bass’s ShinAwil secured 22 hours with the return of entertainment ‘juggernaut’ Dancing with the Stars for an eight series.
Power Pictures secured 16 hours of programming for the ninth series of the Tommy Tiernan Show while Animo Productions returned with a 12 series of Ireland’s Fittest Family broadcast over nine hours.
Reporting by Gordon Deegan
