RTÉ Director-General Dee Forbes this morning presented the keynote address at the 2017 Celtic Media Festival on the Isle of Man. Speaking to a packed room of delegates from Ireland, Scotland, Northern Ireland, Wales, Brittany, Galicia and the Isle of Man, she spoke of the shared challenges and opportunities for broadcasters and media companies in the Celtic nations.
"In Ireland, public media is on the precipice. Static funding means that media are having to take radical steps to raise funds for the vital capital projects that will allow us to create and distribute home-produced content to our audiences. We value what is at stake: indigenous, home-produced content, and the very societies that rely on objective, impartial and creative content that tells us about us. It is chilling to imagine who we would be, as peoples and cultures, without that."
She continued: "For 38 years, the Celtic Media Festival has brought indigenous Celtic media organisations to the heart of often geographically remote locations; it has championed the less visited communities, the places less travelled, the people less represented. By doing so, it brings insight and dialogue, in both directions, inward and outward. It is as valuable to those who visit as it is to those who are visited."
The 38th Annual Celtic Media Festival 2017 is being held from 3rd-5th of May in Douglas Isle of Man.
The Celtic Media Festival is an annual three-day celebration of broadcasting, film talent and excellence from Scotland, Ireland, Wales, the Isle of Man, Cornwall, Brittany and Galicia.
One of the many festival highlights will be the presentation of the Torc Awards for Excellence. Categories include Factual Series, Arts, Drama, Sport, Current Affairs, Best App, Innovation, Radio Station of the Year and one new category for 2017, History.
Its aim is to promote the languages and cultures of the Celtic countries on screen and in broadcasting. The Celtic Media Festival is supported by broadcast, film, cultural and economic development organisations throughout the Celtic countries.
The festival is core funded by: BBC Wales, BBC Northern Ireland, RTE, TG4, MG ALBA, Northern Ireland Screen, BBC Scotland and S4C.
Festival Sponsors for 2017 are: Department of Economic Development - Isle of Man, SES/Isle of Media, Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, TG4, BBC Scotland, RTÉ, MG ALBA, S4C, Northern Ireland Screen, BBC Northern Ireland and BBC Cymru Wales.
For full details on the festival visit the website here and to keep up to date with the latest news from the festival keep an eye on IFTN’s twitter and facebook pages.
Read IFTN’s interview with Celtic Media Festival Director Catriona Logan here “There is so much amazing work coming from the Celtic nations & regions,”
