Should the next government get rid of the TV License?

andrewire

Or lower the current fee?

I think the TV License is an obsolete system. RTÉ should fund itself through advertising and other strategies. Presumably, this would increase quality since they wouldn't have their safe funding coming from the TV License. Plus, RTÉ is supposed to be a 'public broadcaster' but that's just a name. They operate like a private enterprise but with your taxpayers' money.

Well, let's see what others have to say about this issue.

ei.sdraob

Actually they already do raise money from advertising both tv and online which is really annoying, since they are trying to have it both ways, earn money AND continue being subsidized.

the BBC on the other hand produce quality content (including some of the best documentaries) and site/tv/radio with no bloody ads

pcbscott

Its a joke having to pay for a TV License in this country.

I have no problem paying for one provided I then receive a 'somewhat' quality product.

As is the case in the UK with BBC, I pay my License and hey look no adverts and some half decent shows to watch.

But RTE gets advertising revenue and money from my taxes and its actually embarrassing to watch.

Granted the population of Ireland is far less than the UK thus revenues are also but still its a joke.

paul71

OK lets be realistic, if we abolish the TV licence RTE would have to be closed. In my view that may not be a bad option.

randomhuman

That'd be lovely alright. I got rid of my TV recently, but in order to avoid having to pay the license I also have to climb up on the roof of the house that I rent and take down the antenna. And do the same in the next house I guess. Ensuring that it's restricted to people that actually make use of the service is a bit invasive (they'd actually have to come in to the house and verify that I've no TV), so it should just be scrapped.

Chucky the tree

I don't have a problem with the license fee in principal, I do have a problem paying it when RTE presenters are ridiculous money. Like every public service sector it needs a serious overhaul.

Ghost Estate

I think RTE should be got rid of completely.

Buy some cheap digital broadcasting equipment on a shoe string budget for essential state broadcasts, crowd source some filler material for any unused airtime. all unpaid of course.

Have the news read out by transition year students so you don't have to pay them anything except a few bottles of vodka and a pack of johnnies

RetroBate

No TV license. As a means of raising revenue it's outdated.
I do however believe we need a public service broadcaster as otherwise we would have wall to wall game shows, stupid 'reality' programs and news slanted to serve commercial interests.

Abolish the license, have an independent group estimate the number of TVs in the country and pay RTE an equivalent sum out of general taxes.

RGDATA!

I don't mind paying the license. I think on the whole I get a pretty good service from RTE.

Ghost Estate

RGDATA! wrote: »

I don't mind paying the license. I think on the whole I get a pretty good service from RTE.

Getting Go Harvey Go shouted at you while watching some cheap mediocre imported British show?

pcbscott

RGDATA! wrote: »

I don't mind paying the license. I think on the whole I get a pretty good service from RTE.

****needs to raise expectations.

Merch

Or how about they reduce the big paypackets and start a gradual reduction of the licence, to the point where the cost maybe eventually down to 25 euro would ensure everyone would pay

gk5000

Ghost Estate wrote: »

I think RTE should be got rid of completely.

Buy some cheap digital broadcasting equipment on a shoe string budget for essential state broadcasts, crowd source some filler material for any unused airtime. all unpaid of course.

Have the news read out by transition year students so you don't have to pay them anything except a few bottles of vodka and a pack of johnnies

Yep. Sell RTE to the highest bidder.

RGDATA!

Ghost Estate wrote: »

Getting Go Harvey Go shouted at you while watching some cheap mediocre imported British show?

Sounds more like my idea of TV3. I don't watch a huge amount of tv and I don't watch a single show on RTE that isn't home produced.

thebman

RetroBate wrote: »

No TV license. As a means of raising revenue it's outdated.
I do however believe we need a public service broadcaster as otherwise we would have wall to wall game shows, stupid 'reality' programs and news slanted to serve commercial interests.

Abolish the license, have an independent group estimate the number of TVs in the country and pay RTE an equivalent sum out of general taxes.

What we have now is a state broadcaster serving government interests which is much worse IMO and they have to ensure they get advertising revenue so no upsetting potential advertisers either.

Its the worst of both worlds IMHO. Privatise the station, keep the infrastructure and get private tv companies to pay for access to upkeep them and kill the license fee.

We don't need a state broadcaster and we can't afford one so we should scrape ours.

With the Internet,we already have blanket coverage from several angles of most important news events anyway.

Max Powers

andrewire wrote: »

Or lower the current fee?

I think the TV License is an obsolete system. RTÉ should fund itself through advertising and other strategies. Presumably, this would increase quality since they wouldn't have their safe funding coming from the TV License. Plus, RTÉ is supposed to be a 'public broadcaster' but that's just a name. They operate like a private enterprise but with your taxpayers' money.

Well, let's see what others have to say about this issue.

YES, it should be fazed out over 3 years, why should i pay for Ryan Tubridy and Pat Kenny et al when i never watch or listen to them or any other RTE programming except possibly The Premiership lads.

Flimbos

I wouldn't stop at the license fee, get rid of RTE altogether.

Who wouldn't welcome the end of obscene contracts being awarded to RTE's highest earners (who are exempt from semi-state/ public service pay caps as they are, of course, "self employed").

The money in general that is thrown at our state broadcaster compared to the quality of the output is pitiful.

Sell it off, and we might even see some genuine competition between RTE and TV3.

mikemac

TG4 do a fine job on a small budget

Maybe sack the RTÉ management and bring in the TG4 management team

If the RTÉ "stars" reckon they can better contracts in the UK or with Newstalk let them walk.

500k for 4 hours of Marion Finucane??

Ghost Estate

feelingstressed wrote: »

500k for 4 hours of Marion Finucane??

she needs half of that for fags alone

Flimbos

Anyone remember on the Vincent Browne show a few months ago, Browne was questioning Fianna Fail's Pat Carey on the scale of his salary and perks. Carey retorted with "What's your salary, Vincent?" , to which Browne said, "about €54,000".

He was probably referring to his take home pay from TV3, but it's still a damn sight less than RTE's "stars".

SkepticOne

Scrap it. RTE is mainly crap.

Should be gone to ease the tax burden even just a little, RTE will be forced to reduce costs to keep going....no bad thing

BOHtox

The BBC/ RTE comparison is silly really. Ireland has 1.5 million licence payers, The UK has 30 million. Obviously BBC can produce better shows with this extra money and can afford to take no breaks

the groutch

it is rediculous that we have to pay such a high licence fee, largely to pay the wages of the select few (Tubbs, The Plank, Finnuchan, etc), there is at least half a dozen of them making more than the Taoiseach, and they've used a loophole to register themselves as companies to avoid the new 250k cap on public service employees. that is pure cronyism that even FF would be envious of.

mgmt

BOHtox wrote: »

The BBC/ RTE comparison is silly really. Ireland has 1.5 million licence payers, The UK has 30 million. Obviously BBC can produce better shows with this extra money and can afford to take no breaks

RTE failed the people of Ireland. It gave woeful coverage of the IMF invasion of Ireland last year.

Anyone see loony-toon Eamon Ryan wanting to tax the internet to pay for RTE:eek:

RGDATA!

the groutch wrote: »

it is rediculous that we have to pay such a high licence fee, largely to pay the wages of the select few (Tubbs, The Plank, Finnuchan, etc)

the wages of the select few you mentioned aren't "largely" the reason the licence fee is high, although i agree they should be paid less. but its a false argument.

bamboozle

feelingstressed wrote: »

TG4 do a fine job on a small budget

Maybe sack the RTÉ management and bring in the TG4 management team

If the RTÉ "stars" reckon they can better contracts in the UK or with Newstalk let them walk.

500k for 4 hours of Marion Finucane??

i believe both GAA official spokesmen Des Cahill and Marty Morrisey are on 6 figure salaries also.
happened to be in a cafe where morning ireland was on monday morning and Des Cahill spent probably three times as much time on the weekends GAA hurling fixtures than Ireland v France in rugby. RTE sucks