Eight new radio projects to share £200,000 funding

The latest recipients benefiting from the Audio Content Fund have been announced.

Eight projects have been given the go-ahead by the Audio Content Fund Panel, from a total of 31 applicants this round.

The selected projects involve eight different production companies making content to be broadcast on 15 different radio stations, including Magic, Jazz FM, BFBS, National Prison Radio, and several community radio stations.

The bids include a bilingual production to be broadcast on Northern Ireland’s two indigenous language radio stations.

‘The Hidden History of Language and Places’ will be produced by the Belfast-based Foghorn Company, and broadcast in Ulster Scots and Irish on Fuse FM and Raidio Failte respectively.

The productions also feature a weekly radio show for Forces Kids, produced by TBI Media for broadcast on BFBS. Targeted at the 75,000 British children with parents in the Armed Forces, the show will feature inspiring guests, recorded packages and live discussion.

The other funded programmes are: a series of packages spotlighting the unsung heroes of the UK theatre industry; a weekly satirical comedy showcasing new talent from central Scotland; a short-form drama series about the legends of jazz music; an adaptation of the blog Prison Bag about the wife and family of a man serving nine years for fraud; a weekly series of bilingual features about the rural communities of West Wales; and development funding for a drama series written by new and emerging disabled writers.

Sam Bailey, Managing Director of the Audio Content Fund, said: “It’s great to add to the success of our Round 1 winners with such an exciting, diverse range of projects. We’ve now handed out more than £400,000 for documentaries, comedy, drama, children’s content and content in indigenous languages. It’s also fantastic that this round had so much interest from new talent and smaller radio stations.”

Nigel Adams MP, Minister for Sport, Media, and the Creative Industries, said: “The Audio Content Fund is a positive injection of investment from Government to create new ways for creators to bring their exciting and original content to the airwaves. I am thrilled by the variety on offer across these eight projects, and that we’ll be hearing innovative new content in indigenous languages that would not otherwise be made.”

David Lloyd, Audio Content Fund Panel Member, said: “One reason I was so keen to join the fund’s panel was to help facilitate programming which would not otherwise exist. This array of proposals is a further excellent illustration, including some particularly thought-provoking content. I can’t wait to hear the outcome on air.”

The next Funding Round will run from 14 October 2019 until 12 November 2019.

The Audio Content Fund Funding Panel is comprised of Helen Boaden (Chair), Mukti Jain Campion, Kate Cocker and David Lloyd.