We are seeking to commission the Culture File series, or similar series, and invite programme proposals from companies who are familiar with the current format. We welcome proposals that either build on and enhance the existing concept or offer alternative programme ideas capable of delivering comparable levels of output and audience engagement.
Current Series Breakdown
Culture File Weekly & Culture File Debate: an engaging, entertaining and informative 28 minute twice weekly cultural preview, review and reaction series offering unique and accessible reporting on contemporary art and culture within Ireland and abroad. These programmes should reflect national and international arts and cultural activity in a textured, produced fashion. It will be broadcast under the RTÉ lyric fm owned brand Culture File. As a programme strand, Culture File encompasses interviews and explorations in music, media, technology, craft, art, architecture, environment, literature, play, food, design and even scent, featuring makers and creators from around Ireland and abroad in sonically rich, crafted sound worlds. Culture File, which began life as a daily feature package, is now a twice weekly half hour programme, along with other long-form linear and digital programming under the Culture File Weekly, Culture File Debate and The Comfort Zone brands. Narrations, scripted pieces and seasonally themed inserts should form part of the contributions as agreed in advance with the lyric executive producer. The successful company is encouraged to develop new voices in cultural commentary on-air. Culture File utilises the full range of resources available to radio programme makers including interviews, vox-pops, actuality, music, FX and scripted clips. Material from Munster, Leinster, Ulster, Connaught, and internationally sourced content and interviews should be in person or by high quality link.
Eight of these programmes will be Culture File Debates; recorded debates on topical cultural issues some of which will be broadcast live with an audience at live cultural events. The Culture File Debate will be a mix of studio and live public recordings. Partnerships developed in the past have with organisations such as Dublin Book Festival, IMMA, Borris Festival of Writing and Beta Digital Festival.
A third element of programming under the Culture File brand will consist of a highly innovative hybrid linear/ digital strand, featuring a globally acknowledged Irish artist/writer, designed to significantly increase RTÉ Lyric FM’s digital footprint. Culture File currently presents The Comfort Zone – a fortnightly series of on-air programmes and podcasts in which co-hosts Luke Clancy and award-winning author, Colm Tóibín, welcome guests to champion cultural artefacts that captivate, inspire, move or intrigue them. A similar fortnightly series, with a different title and guest co-presenter, is required under this call-out if not produced by the current independent company.
A further element of programming under the Culture File brand will consist of 4 original documentary features, 58 minutes in duration, to be broadcast in the Lyric Feature slot on Sundays at 6.00pm. The subject matter/ theme of these features will be agreed with the RTÉ lyric fm executive producer of the Lyric Feature programme.
Within the context of the overall branded series all excerpts from performances, compositions and published writings and other works will be cleared by the production company for broadcast on RTÉ lyric fm. Copyright logs are provided to RTÉ lyric fm for all music featured at the time of broadcast.
A brief description of each Culture File programme will be emailed to nominated RTÉ lyric fm staff the day before TX. Images, URLs and video material cleared for promotional use on all media platforms will be provided in advance also. Weekly scripted and recorded 20-30 sec promos are to be provided in advance.
All programmes will be delivered between 24 – 36 hours in advance of broadcast or
digital release.
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Slot:
Twice weekly and additional support programming as required/agreed with RTÉ lyric fm
Duration Current durations of the Culture File series:
44 x 30 mins – Culture File Weekly
8 x 30 mins – Culture File Debate
80 x 8 mins – ‘Singles’ to be released digitally
4 x 58 mins – Specials for The Lyric Feature
Culture File Additional Programming:
20 x 60 mins to be released digitally plus 10 x 30 mins programmes to be released on linear
Price Guide: €173,500
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The closing date for this callout is Friday, 08th August 2025 at 5pm (strict deadline).
Please ensure you are fully registered as a supplier with RTÉ’s Independent Radio Productions. The registration form can be found here: https://about.rte.ie/irp/supplier-registration-form/. Late submissions due to late registration will not be accepted.
Submissions can be made using the online submission form which is available here: https://about.rte.ie/irp/submissions-form/
Budgets can be submitted to irp@rte.ie and the budget templates can be found here: https://about.rte.ie/irp/download-forms/