Coimisiún na Meán’s announcement of a €14 million Shared Island Media Fund has been warmly welcomed by Ireland’s three community television stations — Dublin Community Television (DCTV), Northern Visions/NVTV (Belfast), and Cork Community Television (CCTV) — as a major milestone for all-island public participation in media.

The new fund will support Shared Island Journalism Without Borders, three new Sound & Vision – Shared Island Shared Stories rounds, and a Shared Island Stories & Experiences talent initiative, building on principles set out in Coimisiún na Meán’s Policy on Community Media report. These measures aim to strengthen media plurality, cultural exchange, and cross-border collaboration, reflecting the government’s Shared Island commitment to deepen understanding across communities.

The announcement comes ahead of Stories from a Shared Island – Sharing Day, held on Saturday, 6 December 2025 at the Northern Visions Media Centre, Belfast. This collaborative project funded by Creative ireland, developed by NVTV, DCTV and CCTV, reinterprets decades of community media archives to explore identity, creativity, and cultural memory across the island. The Sharing Day programme included screenings, a presentation by Professor Cahal McLaughlin on the Prisons Memory Archive, and a cross-community discussion on future collaborative broadcasting.

Community broadcasters emphasised the transformative potential of the announcement:

Brian Greene, Outreach & Training Coordinator, DCTV, said: “This fund recognises what community media has demonstrated for decades — that grassroots storytelling strengthens democracy. Cross-border journalism and shared archival work will allow communities in Dublin and across the island to hear each other more clearly than ever before.”

David Hyndman, Director, Northern Visions / NVTV, stated: “For NVTV, the Shared Island Media Fund aligns perfectly with our mission to document lived experience and cultural memory. Hosting the Sharing Day in Belfast shows how collaborative archives can open dialogue, especially in a place shaped by contested histories.”

Emma Bowell, Coordinator, Cork Community Television (CCTV), added: “Cork’s communities have rich stories that resonate far beyond the county. This investment could enable us to develop new partnerships with Dublin and Belfast, expand creative training, and ensure that local voices contribute to an all-island media landscape.”

The three stations will continue developing joint programming concepts emerging from the Sharing Day.