Expansion plans an 'endorsement of the RTÉ Cork studio'

RTÉ’s plans to invest in an expanded production centre in Cork have been welcomed, with hopes that the move will have a “knock-on effect for the wider production sector in Munster”.

The State broadcaster, in a document entitled ‘A New Direction for RTÉ’ published this week, said it is aiming to “rebalance” its production from Dublin to “an expanded production centre in Cork” from 2025. The organisation then aims to increase production in Limerick and Galway.

“The Cork centre will bring greater balance to our output and offer diversity across our schedules, creating more long-running content strands on television, radio and digital.

“It will do so through a combination of both in-house production and scaling-up commissions from Cork,” the document said.

Munster Technological University (MTU) president Maggie Cusack, said the news is welcome as MTU has a number of programmes that produce graduates ready to start a career in broadcasting.

“The planned investment in the Cork studios will have a knock-on effect for the wider production sector in Munster and give rise to significant opportunities for MTU graduates to continue to contribute to regional and national television production,” she added.

Head of RTÉ Cork, Colm Crowley, said the broadcaster is “hugely ambitious for the region as it grows into a powerful and impactful producer of programming, not just for the Irish market, but as suppliers of content internationally too”.

Chair of the board of Cork International Film Festival, Barney Whelan, said the document published this week signifies an “endorsement of the RTÉ Cork studio”.

“We look forward to working with the national broadcaster to promote the talent in Cork and the wider Munster region,” he added.