RTÉ's independent production unit last year paid out €46.3 million to help finance international hits such as Hidden Assets, Kin, and The Dry.
That is according to the 2023 annual report of the RTÉ Independent Productions Unit, which shows that RTÉ spent €1.8 million in excess of what is it is statutorily required to spend on the independent sector in 2023.
The new report shows that 10 independent production companies received €25.7 million, representing 63 per cent of the value of new 2023 television commissions.
The report states that in 2023, “RTÉ presented a hugely increased number of drama hours”.
The report states that “a mix of independently commissioned productions and co-productions meant that the Irish audience was treated to 10 different drama series across the calendar year”.
Along with Kin, Hidden Assets and The Dry, other productions last year included Smother, The Gone, Blackshore, and The Boy that Never Was.
The Independent Unit also backed Ireland’s Fittest Family and Dancing with the Stars and the now axed Operation Transformation.
On Operation Transformation, the report states that “Vision Independent Productions’ commitment to the Operation Transformation brand has seen its popularity maintained through its continued development from a weight-loss series to an important health and wellbeing brand where contestants are supported throughout their transformational journey”.
On another hit show, the report states that the award-winning The Tommy Tiernan Show (Power Pictures) returned to screens, “once again proving that its succinct and simple format is deceptively brilliant as audiences continued to view in significant numbers across all platforms”.
Asked to comment on the 2023 spend, two of the country’s leading independent producers called for major changes to the sector.
MD of Shinawil which produces Dancing with the Stars and Home of the Year, Larry Bass said: “On the general level, the RTÉ increased funding is always welcome, but it is still significantly down on pre-crash numbers of circa €80 million, so the independent sector is still taking the heaviest fall post-crash and that is since 2008.
Mr Bass added: "As we all know inflation has had a major impact on all of our costs, so the small increase in relative terms is diminishing return on available funds, yet Irish viewers have huge other choices from non-Irish content on many channels and platforms.
He said: “We urgently need the new government to regulate for correct funding of Irish Public Service Media across all Irish channels.”
Vision Independent Productions produced ratings hit, Operation Transformation and MD, Philip Kampff said: “The problem with the whole sector is that we are not making the radical changes that we need to make to meet the audience who are no longer embracing linear TV.”
He said: "When I returned to Ireland in 2003 from the UK the sector was flying and RTÉ was spending double that amount (€46.3 million).”
He said: “When the crash came in 2008-09, it was halved. But RTÉ's own spending/costs were not halved. The issue is not the level of spend but that the world of TV has changed and just giving RTE €700 odd million for the next three years pushed the problem and the opportunities down the road.
He said: “If we have a Tik Tok Taoiseach, then we need to be looking at public service media funding models that embrace all channels, particularly channels that people watch.”
