Independent Productions Annual Report 2020
Independent Productions Annual Report 2020 CONTENTS Introduction 2 The Year in Review: – Television 4 – Radio 16 Other Funding 19 Other Support Activities 20 Corporate Governance 20 Financial and Commissioning Review 21 Independent Accountants’ Report 24 Schedules 25 RTÉ INDEPENDENT PRODUCTIONS ANNUAL REPORT 2020 1 INTRODUCTION From lockdowns to working from home and remote learning due to the Covid-19 pandemic restrictions, 2020 was a challenging year for everyone. As audience needs changed and evolved, RTÉ, together with the independent sector, rose to the challenge to ensure that quality Irish content was produced to inform, educate and entertain. From factual to entertainment, lifestyle, cláracha gaelige, drama, comedy and young people’s, the sector responded to unprecedented changes to daily life in Ireland and across the world to produce relevant and distinctive content. Audiences in Ireland connected with Irish content in increasing numbers across all genres, with RTÉ’s all-day share of TV viewing increasing by 1.7% to 27.2%1. RTÉ delivered 43 of the top 50 programmes on Irish television in 2020, with 14 being produced by the independent sector. Independent productions such as Ireland on Call and RTÉ’s Home School Hub played a pivotal role in meeting new audience needs and complemented News & Current Affairs content across TV, online and radio. As well as creating innovative new content and formats to meet these needs, the independent sector demonstrated great agility by adapting production models to comply with public health advice and restrictions. Series such as Ireland’s Fittest Family and Operation Transformation used best-practice production methods to ensure their safe return to screens, while new programming such as Gardening Together with Diarmuid Gavin, No Place Like Home and Open for Business reflected shifts in audience lifestyle and needs during the pandemic.
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