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THE ORGANISATION representing Ireland’s independent radio stations has welcomed proposals from communications minister Pat Rabbitte to replace the TV licence with a ‘household broadcasting charge’.
The Independent Broadcasters of Ireland (IBI) have called on Rabbitte to use the introduction of the new charge to examine how the licence fee is distributed, urging him to comply with a promise made when he took office.
The coalition’s Programme for Government included an agreement to “review the funding of public and independent broadcasters to ensure a healthy broadcasting environment”.
“If the Minister is bound to examine the television licence fee then he should also be bound to the Programme’s commitment to undertake a full review of the funding of broadcasting in Ireland,” the IBI said in a statement.
“Indeed, the two are inextricably linked, and it is it is inconceivable that any change to the current TV licence system would not involve a review of how the funding is used.”
The group has suggested that allowing independent broadcasters to take a share of the funding may not necessarily result in a loss of revenue for RTÉ, which currently takes virtually all of the revenue from the TV licence.
Rabbitte had said the proposed new charge – which would apply to all households – would help to stop the evasion that exists under the current system, which costs the state some €25 million a year.
“It is conceivable that the revenue to be collected from the new broadcasting charge be apportioned to fund the operations of the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, a move that would benefit every broadcaster in the country regardless of whether they are community, commercial or state-funded,” IBI said.
Rabbitte had explained this morning that the revamped household broadcasting charge was aimed at ensuring that those who accessed the services of broadcasters over the internet, and not through TVs and radios, paid for the service.
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NO if tv3 can survive on advertising alone so can RTE and they can pay a capped wage instead of ridiculous wages.
Exactly, RTE are full of pot smokers
“The State is the great fiction through which everyone endeavours to live at the expense of everyone else.”
Fredric Bastiat
I hate the fact that my €160 pays that gobshite Tubridy’s wages.
spot on
How many licence payers did it take to fund Gerry Ryan’s cocaine habit?
uncalled for .
Nasty and uncalled for
Three points occur to me:
1) If every household will have to pay for this with no option, and if part of the point is to save on administration costs, why not just fund public broadcasting out of general taxation and be done with it?
2) If privately-owned, for-profit broadcasters want to be funded by the public, I respectfully suggest that they go **** themselves.
3) My current method of not paying for the tosh RTÉ produce is by not having a TV set. The minister thinks he is going to make me pay for it anyway. This may meet resistance.
If the licence fee was to be taken away from RTE and divided among the various broadcasters who engage in public service broadcasting how would it be divided without further distorting competition?
Last year RTE lost €225million when one allow for the licence fee. Over the past ten years it has received nearly 2 billion allowing for inflation and what is there to show for it. Nothing.
Are we really saying that this money could not be better spent somewhere else? How many special needs teachers would the TV tax pay for? A hell of a lot. How many childrens’ lives would be dramatically improved with such money?
I cannot believe that the IMF is happy with the RTE slush fund continuing to exist. Surely it is about time they called a halt to this expensive joke.
what rubbish. independent broadcasters are commercial ventures designed to make money. the state broadcaster, for all its shortcomings is just that, the state broadcaster. it is obliged to show cultural, political and other niche programmes specific to ireland. the commercial broadcasters want a slice of the pie that the public have to cough up every year??? the tv license is a de facto tax, no private businesses should be entitled to one red cent of it.
I agree the State should not be subsidising private enterprises. Neither though should the State be subsidising the lavish lifestyles of those in RTE. The concept of a ‘State Broadcaster’ has no place in any modern society. Lest we forget the licence fee was put in place to cover the capital costs to set up RTE. Since they RTE has become nothing other than an inefficient commercial body and the licence fee a gravy train.
Rather like the Late late Show it has lived on past glories and it is time to call it a day.
We know that the current government will never do it – but maybe the IMF will do the right and decent thing and close it down.
Ya mean like mrs browns boys,the social and fade street?
Would we really miss RTE if they got rid of it. Would be less negative news floating about for a start. Just pull the plug completely.
Quoting: “was aimed at ensuring that those who accessed the services of broadcasters over the internet, and not through TVs and radios, paid for the service”. So if I don’t watch RTE (I only have UK channels) and don’t listen to radio except Absolute or JazzFM who both are in UK I don’t need to pay then? Hurray!
Ciaro, do u not know you cant say anything about the God that was Gerry Ryan!!! (hope my sarcasm is evident)
I miss gerry ryan, didnt listen to him often enough for him to annoy me but he was a million times funnier and more sincere than the plank and the twig. God I can’t bear them which is why I don’t listen to or watch rte, I have kennyryanaphobia.
If they are included how long will it be till they need more money and the fee has to be increased. Recon radio is doing alright as they are. Can only see more household charges coming from it.
Unlike the BBC, RTE plays it both ways. Takes in revenue from adverts and accepts the government handout via licences. May I suggest just killing the antiquated tv license fee and let RTE compete fairly in the real world…..
Tax against the Internet. Hmm, maybe an email to irish based companies like LinkedIn, yahoo, google and eBay informing them of the governments new ‘idea’ won’t go amiss!
1. No commercial station is entitled to one cent of public money, they are there to turn over a profit.
2. If RTE want a slice of advertising money, they either do that and forego a license fee. They cannot have both either.
There is no middle line, its either or.
Government need to hold public debates on all these issues as opposed to forcing them down our throats, but then no Government past or present has the foresight to look at our taxation regime and reform it.
I think the majority would agree to a fair amount of taxation to fund the State, but until our spineless leaders either reform, or we change our way of electing people to rule us change, simply put, nothing will change.
Greed yet again!
Anyone who has actually seen the prices (simple google search) to put an add on a radio station know that this is pure and utter greed.
I don’t listen to the radio.. ok the odd time I do for about 5 mins to break silences but other than that I don’t.
Arghhh…. I honestly can’t express enough how I’m so angry at the fact that I will soon be asked to pay for things I don’t want.
What the f*ck kind of a country is this turning into??
Ciaro,
What a moronic and unhelpful contribution. Before this ‘levy’ is brought in RTE needs a radical overha on its pay to it’s top presenters. And nobody on here can tell me they haven’t visited rte.ie or the player the access some sort of their content.
I haven’t.
Likewise, not even once and don’t have a TV, with an paid for CD collection in the car instead of radio.
I’ m not going to be feared by the consequences of not paying or tricked into paying this when it will only be pissed against a wall like the other millions wasted in RTE and with its cohorts. No skin off my back for it to be shutdown and save the tax paying public millions and further financial stress for things to only continue the same as always in D4.
The poor deluded fools in the IBI, why does anyone believe that this new tax will be distributed equally amongst broadcasters?
It’s heading in the same direction as all the other new taxes and charges – into the eternal black hole called the Irish bank bailout.
I note with interest that while the IBI has been quoted, not one persons name was used! Who is the IBI? Do they have a face? Names? Why so quick to support the political masters? Do I smell a rat? C’mom, be a joutnalist, name names. Not acronyms. Who?
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