The BAI captures the focus of its work in five overarching strategic themes as follows;
1. Promoting Diversity & Plurality
2. Achieving Excellence & Accountability
3. Communicating & Influencing
4. Empowering Audiences
5. Enhancing Innovation & Sectoral Sustainability
The high level objectives related to the theme, Promoting Diversity & Plurality are;
Strategic Objective 1 - Facilitate a mix of voices, opinions and sources of news and current affairs in audio-visual media which enhances democratic debate and active citizenship in Ireland
Strategic Objective 2 - Increase the production and availability of culturally relevant audio-visual content for Irish audiences
Strategic Objective 3 - Foster and promote quality programming in the Irish Language
Strategic Objective 4 - Foster a media landscape that is representative of, and accessible to, the diversity of Irish society
In order to achieve these objectives, the BAI will:
* Continue to articulate an informed policy position on Media Plurality in Ireland that is supported by relevant research, and provide advices to the Minister as required
* Develop and implement a revised Broadcasting Services Strategy that continues to facilitate dynamic licensing policies and plans and promotes quality programming in the Irish language
* Continue to develop, implement and review broadcast funding schemes that support an increase in the production and availability of diverse, innovative and/or culturally relevant Irish audio-visual content, including content in the Irish language
* Develop and implement and review an action plan that supports increased representation of the diversity of Irish society in the broadcast media with particular focus on gender and the Irish language
In July 2020, the BAI announced its intention to operate an open funding round of the Sound and Vision 4 scheme which will see funding of up to EU4.5m being made available and will be open to independent audiovisual producers, commercial, community and public service television stations, and independent audio producers working with commercial, community and public service radio stations.
The open round is the third initiative to be announced by the BAI, in 2020, under the Sound & Vision 4 Scheme. In June, the BAI allocated EU2.5m to independent commercial radio stations under the COVID-19 funding initiative. Earlier in July, the BAI opened the Community Radio Fund, which will see total funding of EU750k being made available to BAI-licensed community, community of interest and community of special interest sound broadcasting services, and the special interest Christian / religious sound broadcasting service. In April, the BAI announced the award of over EU7m in funding to facilitate the production of 126 projects across the audiovisual and audio sectors under the final round of the Sound & Vision 3 Scheme.
2020 funding EU14.5m ($17m)