SCGI board statement on RTÉ

Statement from the board of Screen Composers Guild of Ireland on recent events at RTÉ:

The executive and board of Screen Composers Guild of Ireland, the representative organisation for composers who create music for Film/TV/Animation, wish to express their grave concern at the recent revelations regarding the lack of transparency in RTÉ's financial affairs. A strong and reliable national broadcaster is ever more important for Irish audiences and our domestic creative screen industry. RTÉ and other broadcasters are a key source of employment for Irish composers and musicians, a key element of the creative ecosystem and they can offer a starting point to develop creative careers which can grow to international success. Many of our composers are currently struggling to source work competing in ever decreasing margins in an international market too often characterised by unfair commissioning practices and crowded with powerful international suppliers.

SCGI joins the call for an urgent review of RTÉ which includes all stakeholders and we join our writer, director and producer colleagues in asking that the Government maintains funding to our national broadcaster in the interim helping to secure a future for our creatives whilst seeking to ensure that there is a greater commitment to working collaboratively with Irish screen creatives in a fair and transparent manner.