Agtel, the independent TV and digital media company, has signed a major contract to undertake the production of a communications awareness project for the Radiation Protection unit in Luxembourg, which is part of the EU's DG Energy and Transport.
The contract, worth €100,000, will involve the production of training footage in five languages. The company will begin pre-production work on the 12-month project, for the EU’s Directorate General (DG) Energy and Transport, this month (January 2010). It will produce an information video, required under new EU legislation, to provide safety training to workers in nuclear installations throughout Europe.
As Agtel celebrates 30 successful years in business, through two recessions, Managing Director John Cummins says the future holds no fear for the Dublin based award winning company: "TV, Video, DVD, Web, Social media, twitter - the media revolution moves on despite the recession, but Agtel has been one constant in Ireland's rapidly changing media landscape for the last 30 years," he says.
Putting a positive spin on the current financial situation, the MD continues, "Constant flux is no bad thing, because when your back is to the wall, that's when you are at your most creative - and we've been there lots of times. I feel a sense of 'déjà vu' 1987 - that was when the original Bord Snip, Ray Mc Sharry, abolished about half our state clients in one budget! It was 'get out and sell' and we went and opened an office in Brussels.
"Now Agtel doesn't even have to open an office as we are connected to the world online and we are seeing the greatest demand for creative audio - visual content in history. We in Agtel are intent on exploiting this. The key now is to demonstrate to clients the effectiveness of digital media on-line in delivering the message and in saving staff time, travelling costs etc.”
In 2010, Agtel will especially focus one-learning solutions for their many public service clients who have to deliver training in more cost effective ways. According to Cummins "e-learning on-line with creative video at its core can achieve huge cost savings."
In the last two years Agtel has won five major media awards, mainly for interactive digital content, including the New York Festival’s gold medal for Society and Social Issues with a HD reconstruction of 'The Battle of the Boyne'; the International Visual Communications Association Bronze medal for a programme on Space Robotics for the European Space Agency, and an Irish Digital Media Award for a Guide to Safe Catering.
In addition, a search for 'The Last Businessman' on Youtube will lead to a video demonstration of how Agtel is working with the IDA to show how Ireland is selling itself to foreign companies in these tough times.
"Agtel was born around Christmas 1979 just as Charlie Haughey and Margaret Thatcher were coming to power, there were PAYE marches in Dublin, a four month postal strike and black flags everywhere due to the Maze hunger strikes" says Cummins. "But the Pope came in October to tell us he loved us and we made Abba No 1
with 'I have a dream'. At such times dreams are born and recessions pass. The new year beckons and the challenges of another 30 years face Agtel like they did in 1979 - and we look forward to them!"
