DCTV STATEMENT
2 November 2013
It is with regret that the staff and committee of Dublin Community Television (DCTV) must inform you of the orderly wind down of the station, and the planned cessation of broadcast in February 2014.
On 21 October 2013 the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) made it known that it would not be funding any of DCTV’s archiving project submissions. Alongside this decision, BAI support for DCTV projects through the Sound & Vision scheme had dropped. Funding for 2012 was seven times higher than the funds received in 2013.
DCTV had recognised its dependence on
the BAI and tried to generate alternative funding. This year the
station secured significant alternative funding. However, the drop in
BAI support to less than a sixth of its previous annual average left
the station unable to guarantee the ability to meet its obligations
in wages, rent and other costs if it continued to operate.This has
been a difficult decision, not least because of the belief that the
station was approaching a sustainable funding model.
DCTV started broadcasting in 2006. In that time DCTV developed youth shows, history programmes, music, comedy, information services and documentaries. These programmes are archived and will be preserved. DCTV also set up a city centre studio. It is hoped that the studio will continue to support ongoing training for community organisations and youth centres in Dublin.
There will be a meeting for the DCTV membership shortly to decide on the winding up of the co-op and other matters. DCTV still has four active television shows in production. There is a plan to complete these projects over the next five months. The co-op will examine how best to preserve the community television production capacity built by DCTV while meeting its obligations to creditors.
DCTV will be meeting with all creditors, landlords, show participants and so on to form an orderly wind down which may involve the transfer of contracts and commitments to other bodies. We would like to thank people for their support in this process as we pursue an orderly resolution of the affairs of the co-op.
We hope that the skills, productions and networks that DCTV leaves behind after six years will be a fitting legacy. The staff and committee of DCTV thank all of the co-op’s members and collaborators for their support.
The Committee of Management of Dublin Community Television