10-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
TV exec warns against RTÉ ‘back-sliding' on agreed €56m spend in independent sector
That is according to ex-RTÉ board member and TV industry veteran Stuart Switzer, who was commenting on RTÉ Independent Productions Annual Report 2024, which shows that the direct spend to independent production firms last year increased by €2.4m, or 5pc, from €44.95m to €47.37m. When the RTÉ overhead of €1.39m is factored in, the total spend in 2024 was €48.77m.
Speaking in his role as chair of the 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.
Other popular RTÉ shows made by external partners include Dancing with the Stars, made by ShinAwiL
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 62pc 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 15pc, 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 the total value of RTÉ independent television programming activities in 2024, inclusive of all third-party funding, was €83.8m.
