Alex Jones: Extending TV licence to cover Internet

Mahatma coat

Right so, seeing as the other Alex Jones thread finally got closed just as it was about to become interesting, I figured I'd post this here

Someone Found this on Infowars

thegreat and glorious Alex Jones wrote:

Ireland on the verge of extending TV licence to cover Internet

Sam Knows
May 11, 2009

Ireland’s draft Broadcasting Bill includes provision to extend TV licence fee payments to cover Internet access - and it’s soon set to become law. Even devices capable of picking up YouTube appear to be included in the Broadcasting Act 2009’s definition of “television:”

“any electronic apparatus capable of receiving and exhibiting television broadcasting services broadcast for general reception (whether or not its use for that purpose is dependent on the use of anything else in conjunction with it) and any software or assembly comprising such apparatus and other apparatus.”


The move will mean more cash in the coffers of Irish state broadcaster RTE, which is about to publish its annual accounts. It’s expected there’ll be little change from its most recent financial update last October, where the broadcaster forecast its advertising revenue would fall €25m short of budget for the year. However, following a cost-cutting drive it’s believed the station might break even.

At the moment you don’t need a television licence to watch online video content in the UK (except when a programme is being simulcast on both TV and the web) - but that could change. Last month the BBC Internet Blog said that if, in the future, “some people stopped receiving live broadcasts at all, stopped paying their licence fee, but continued to consume television programmes, solely on-demand” then they would consider having the Government extend its TV licence fee to cover Internet access too.

RTE’s not the only media company hoping to cash in by monetising web content currently available for free: News Corporation’s could be about to charge us to access its newspaper websites. Its owner Rupert Murdoch says “the current days of the Internet will soon be over;” if he has his way, the online manifestations of The Times and The Sun could go subscription-only within the twelve months. He’s encouraged by News Corp’s success in doing the same with The Wall Street Journal. Like RTE, News Corporation’s newspaper division barely broke even last year.

anyone got any info on this??? anyone heard anything about it???

just readin the comment section again on that page, ties in to another thread that got closed today as well

so does he have his finger on the pulse, this should be fairly straightforward, although he dosent give a timeline.

espinolman

Alex Jones is a lovely fella

Aaaahhhhgghh , we'll need a licence for breating next , they will come up with any excuse to suck money out of us :mad:

http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2055556309

bonkey

Mahatma coat wrote: »

Right so, seeing as the other Alex Jones thread finally got closed just as it was about to become interesting, I figured I'd post this here

It got closed because it got out of hand.

We're one reply into this thread, and it looks like being a carbon-copy.

Mahatma coat

just been readin that thread in the TV forum.

So this is going ahead full steam and looks very like the least stealthy stealth tax I have ever seen.

So Jones did have te correct info!

humanji

I wouldn't say he's got his finger on the pulse since boards already has a few posts on this.

I'd say a lot of peopel will be against this, not because thye feel the government is cracking down on fredom or anything like that, but because the money from the TV license is wasted on RTE. I can't imagine too many people being put out by this as most people will already have a tv license for their tv already. The amount of extra income will be negligable, but in these times they want to get everything they can get their grubby little hands on.

6th

MC, starting a thread with a title such as this as a direct response to the otehr thread looks like a dig at the other thread and those that posted on it.

I dont want to hear any crap about they started it etc.

I'm renaming this thread but if you're not happy with the name change then PM the mods.