Brown Blog Films

The Animation CEO Forum believe that RTÉ are not fulfilling their role as a Public Service Broadcaster by failing to support, develop and fund the Animation sector in Ireland.  In the context of the two Academy Award® nominations received this week by Irish animation studios, the Animation CEO Forum RTÉ have spent just €300,000 a year for the past 3 years on animated programmes. This represents less than 1% of the RTÉ spend on independent commissioned programmes.

 “As a Public Service Broadcaster RTÉ’s remit is to produce children’s programmes just as they commission Drama and Documentaries. Irish children have as much right to quality home produced programmes as their parents do. However, the RTÉ schedule is almost entirely full of imported animation from the US and Europe. Unless there is a change in RTÉ’s policy, Irish children will learn to speak with an American accents and can expect to see American-style yellow school buses for a long time to come” said Cathal Gaffney, Managing Director of Brown Bag Films 

 “Who knows what success the Animation sector could achieve if RTÉ were to commit just 5% of its programming budget towards animation. Ultimately, Irish children would be the real beneficiary as they watch quality home produced programmes relevant to an Irish audience and to their lives”

he added.

 “RTÉ need to wake up and become strategic about animation programmes for their schedule, the rest of the world has identified the talent and potential in our sector in Ireland. We have a great opportunity to replace acquired programming with indigenous programmes that will be more relevant to an Irish audience.  What we are lacking is a vision at the very top in RTE and as a result 25% of the Irish population are been ignored. This is simply not good enough” said Gerard O’Rourke, Monster Animation.

 “There is little advertising revenue to be earned by RTÉ from children’s programmes and their lack of support for animation would indicate that RTÉ’s policy is more about chasing commercial revenues than their Public Service remit” he concluded.

 The Animation CEO Forum believes that the animation sector is a shining light of Ireland’s Smart and Creative economy.  The animation sector is almost entirely export focused and is the largest full time employer of the entire Film and Television sector. Without much domestic support, Irish Animation studios successfully export their work internationally and the irony is that animated programmes created in Ireland are broadcast on almost every children’s channel around the world.

 “Animation provides exactly the type of high-value, technically-skilled, stable employment that Ireland needs to build its ‘Knowledge Economy’.  That the Animation Industry has not only survived but grown exponentially is a testament to its members’ creativity, business acumen and drive,” said Damien Farrell, Chairman of Animation CEO Forum. 

 The Animation CEO Forum are thrilled with the two Oscar® nominations and congratulate Nicky Phelan and Darragh O’Connell from Brown Bag Films and Tomm Moore from Cartoon Saloon who have been nominated in the Best Animated Short and Best Animated Feature categories.

 “The Irish animation sector has been punching well above its weight internationally for some time and these nominations are a testament to its creativity and professionalism.” said Damian Farrell, Chairman of the Animation CEO Forum and Creative Director of Caboom.

 This success is a boost to the Animation sector, and it comes despite the lack of funding to the sector from RTÉ.