The Arts Council, the Government agency for funding and developing the arts, has made its major grant allocations for 2009, distributing almost €60 million to 352 organisations, venues, festivals and communities across the country. more
Following TV3’s acquisition of Channel 6 in late 2008, Channel 6 has become repositioned as a sibling channel to TV3 - renaming the channel as ‘3e’ while TV3 has rebranded with a modern, contemporary look. more
RTÉ Television has secured live Irish horse racing rights for the next three years ensuring the Irish racing calendar free-to-air on the broadcaster until at least 2011. more
The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) has announced the seventh funding round of 'Sound and Vision for Television’. Applications are now invited from programme makers for funding for new television programmes dealing with the themes of Irish culture, heritage and experience. more
Michael Wilson, Managing Director of UTV Television, says they have not yet reached an agreement with unions on redundancies at the Northern Irish broadcaster, which is facing job losses due to a restructure of the television division. more
As the Broadcasting Bill concluded Committee Stage today, Communications Minister Eamon Ryan announced that he will increase funding for the Sound and Vision programme by 2% on the previous allocation increasing total investment in Ireland's independent television production to almost €15.5 million in 2009. more
The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) has signed a contract with City Channel Eastern Europe Limited for a new service targeting eastern European viewers in the Dublin area. more
IBEC’s Audiovisual Federation today (Thursday, 11 December 2008) welcomed the new improvements to the Irish tax incentive for film Section 481 announced by Minister for Arts. Sport and Tourism, Martin Cullen TD at the launch of its 2008 Audiovisual Federation Review. more
Bord Scannán na hÉireann/the Irish Film Board (IFB) has published a report recommending improvements to the current tax incentive for film, Section 481 which runs until 2012. more
The deadline for the 6th Annual Irish Film & Television Awards is fast approaching. Submissions must be received at the IFTA office or via the online submissions form by 5.30pm Monday 17th November 2008. more
The leaders of all the major political parties in Northern Ireland have signed a petition urging Belfast-based media group UTV to halt proposed jobs cuts from the service. more
RTÉ's Director General Cathal Goan and Chief Financial Officer, Conor Hayes addressed the Joint Oireachtas Committee on Communications last week on pay cuts cuts worth more than €50m to its budget for 2009 to avoid a deficit for the company. more
Media and entertainment union BECTU has launched a public attack on Northern Irish ITV franchise holder UTV, claiming the broadcaster is failing to negotiate over its plans to make to cut 30-35 jobs in production and would not rule out compulsory redundancies. more
The call for entries for the 6th Annual Irish Film and Television Awards (IFTAs) is now open. Submissions are invited for categories in film, television, shorts and animation. This year sees the introduction of a new Feature Documentary category. Deadline for entires is 17 November 2008. more
Independent Irish broadcaster TV3, owned by private equity firm Doughty Hanson, is set to take over Channel 6 from its founders and a consortium of investors for an undisclosed sum. more
Boxer DTT Limited has been awarded the three national Digital Terrestrial Television (DTT) multiplex contracts by The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland. more
Former Minister for Arts, Sport and Tourism Seamus Brennan TD passed away in the early hours of this morning at his home in Churchtown, Dublin. He was 60 years old. more
The Irish Film Board has signed a co-production agreement with North Rhine-Westphalia’s regional film fund Filmstiftung NRW which is set to promote Irish and German film and documentary co-productions. more
