Public Service Broadcasting Charge update

The Cush

Minister Pat Rabbitte was on RTÉ Radio 1's Media Show last weekend discussing the planned Public Service Broadcasting Charge, the replacement for the current TV Licence. It will not cost more than the current TV Licence.

TV Licence evasion is estimated at 15%.

He says the charge will not be introduced before 2014. It probably won't be included in the property charge but collected separately, the collection of the charge may have to be tendered out.

4 other countries are planning a similar charge and the planned Irish broadcasting charge will be informed by these developments.

The Independent broadcasters, seeking a cut of the licence fee, may not benefit directly but thru the BAI's Sound & Vision fund.

The Minister is to receive a BAI report on a major review of public service broadcasting funding in the coming weeks which will inform decisions in relation to the introduction of the broadcasting charge.

http://www.rte.ie/radio/radioplayer/rteradiowebpage.html#rii=9%3A20188684%3A10627%3A13%2D04%2D2013%3A&type=radio
http://www.irishtimes.com/business/sectors/agribusiness-and-food/rabbitte-says-new-charge-no-cure-all-for-irish-media-1.1360227

The idea of a public service broadcasting charge to replace the TV licence was inculded in the manifestos of both government parties - http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=70927060

A youtube account is free.

Del2005

Deleted User wrote: »

A youtube account is free.

The charge is per household, it has nothing to do with what's in the house.

The Cush

At the Oireachtas Public Accounts Committee yesterday attended by Department of Communications secretary general Aidan Dunning, included discussion of the planned broadcasting household charge, it was said that the property tax database together with the existing TV Licence, ESB connection and PRTB databases will be used to identify households.

The new charge will not be introduced until late 2014 until the household database is compiled.

410,000 people currently getting a free TV licence would be exempt from the broadcasting charge.

A broadcasting charge of around €180 would be required to deliver the current €220m in TV licence fee revenue.

Mr Dunning said the final decision on the cost of the broadcasting charge would be made by the Government.

But he said the "very minimum" required would be the approximately €220m revenue gathered each year from the TV licence.

There are around 1.6 million households in the country, but this number would drop to around 1.2 million if exemptions for those on free TV licences are taken into account.

That would mean a broadcasting charge of around €180 would be required to deliver the current €220m in TV licence fee revenue.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/property-tax-database-to-be-used-for-new-180-levy-29207079.html
http://www.independent.ie/opinion/letters/new-tv-charging-scheme-will-provoke-big-brother-debate-29207156.html

Hotblack Desiato

If this is supposed to eliminate evasion and reduce collection/enforcement costs, then it should cost less than a TV licence to deliver the same income, not more.

Just another tax increase :mad:

Fuzzy Clam

ninja900 wrote: »

If this is supposed to eliminate evasion and reduce collection/enforcement costs, then it should cost less than a TV licence to deliver the same income, not more.

Just another tax increase :mad:

You're missing the point.
The income at present is short of what it should be due to evasion.

Hotblack Desiato

And when evasion is made very difficult then it'll no longer be 'short'.
That's no reason for the fee charged to go up - quite the opposite in fact.

icdg

The idea is that you won't be able to evade it. It'll be payable by every household.

I've philosophical difficulties with the idea of what then becomes essentially a poll tax - a tax on being alive - as there'd appear to be absolutely no qualification on who has to pay it. But on the other hand I can see the government's argument too, that RTÉ & TG4 are now consumed by people through methods other than television. I know at least one person who now doesn't own a TV and does all her viewing through the internet.

FREETV

icdg wrote: »

The idea is that you won't be able to evade it. It'll be payable by every household.

I've philosophical difficulties with the idea of what then becomes essentially a poll tax - a tax on being alive - as there'd appear to be absolutely no qualification on who has to pay it. But on the other hand I can see the government's argument too, that RTÉ & TG4 are now consumed by people through methods other than television. I know at least one person who now doesn't own a TV and does all her viewing through the internet.

This whole country and living in it is becoming a bit of a farce, nothing but increased charges, time for us all to take to the streets and protest and never vote for the three main political parties ever again unless we want more of the same taxes. Let the Landlords pay for it in rented accomodations then. Air tax could be next.

MacBoogerBalls

ninja900 wrote: »

And when evasion is made very difficult then it'll no longer be 'short'.
That's no reason for the fee charged to go up - quite the opposite in fact.

Well the Depart of Social Welfare will no longer be paying for the 0.4m homes currently receiving the free licence, so shortfall will have to be made up.

This whole thing stinks!

Thats inspectors out of a job. How much does it cost to broadcast to the public anyway. Webcam and youtube account BOOM!

hfallada

An post gets a huge amount of collecting the tv Licence. I think they get €30 for €160 someone pays for the tv licence

OU812

It should be added to the electricity bill spread out over the year.

formerly scottish paddy

In response to this charge when it is introduced RTÉ should in fairness make Radio 1 ad free. We would then at least be paying towards one national service with no advertising.

Peter Rhea

hfallada wrote: »

An post gets a huge amount of collecting the tv Licence. I think they get €30 for €160 someone pays for the tv licence

You think? You should know before you post something like that, preferably have a link to back it up.

The Cush

hfallada wrote: »

An post gets a huge amount of collecting the tv Licence. I think they get €30 for €160 someone pays for the tv licence

TV Licence collection fee 2012 - €12,457 million
http://oireachtasdebates.oireachtas.ie/debates%20authoring/debateswebpack.nsf/takes/dail2012091800105?opendocument#WREEE03050

Peter Rhea

The Cush wrote: »

TV Licence collection fee 2012 - €12,457 million

12 million, 457 thousand Euros? (€12,457,000)

The Cush

Peter Rhea wrote: »

(€12,457,000)

That's correct, should've used a point instead of a comma - €12.457 million

new fang

icdg wrote: »

But on the other hand I can see the government's argument too, that RTÉ & TG4 are now consumed by people through methods other than television.

what about people who don't consume them at all?

FREETV

new fang wrote: »

what about people who don't consume them at all?

The tyrannical dictatorship that is a supposed democracy of which there is no such thing is going to force the public against their will again with another tax, TV Tax, they should call it.
We will just lie back like fluoridated zombies and do nothing about it and take another hit! :rolleyes: :pac:

icdg

new fang wrote: »

what about people who don't consume them at all?

There's very few people who consume no RTÉ. There are people that claim they don't, but when you probe further, they usually have. Maybe they've listened to 2FM or Lyric FM at some stage and don't readily associate them with RTÉ. Or watched a Republic of Ireland football or Ireland rugby match on RTE. Or tuned into RTÉ for a major Irish breaking news event.

RTÉ will never be got rid of, or at least while television and radio remain in existence. Politicians would have to vote for it, and nobody else (other than TG4 using RTÉ resources) usually covers election results live on TV (last general election was the first time TV3 did any more than an extended bulletin and even then their coverage was nothing on RTÉ). If there was no RTÉ there'd be no politicians on Irish TV in the English language between 6:00pm (before most people have come home from work) and 11:00pm (after most people have gone to bed) every night, and that's something they are not going to vote for.

FREETV

icdg wrote: »

There's very few people who consume no RTÉ. There are people that claim they don't, but when you probe further, they usually have. Maybe they've listened to 2FM or Lyric FM at some stage and don't readily associate them with RTÉ. Or watched a Republic of Ireland football or Ireland rugby match on RTE. Or tuned into RTÉ for a major Irish breaking news event.

RTÉ will never be got rid of, or at least while television and radio remain in existence. Politicians would have to vote for it, and nobody else (other than TG4 using RTÉ resources) usually covers election results live on TV (last general election was the first time TV3 did any more than an extended bulletin and even then their coverage was nothing on RTÉ). If there was no RTÉ there'd be no politicians on Irish TV in the English language between 6:00pm (before most people have come home from work) and 11:00pm (after most people have gone to bed) every night, and that's something they are not going to vote for.

At least in a true Democracy the public would have a vote on such issues but we don't. We are forced to pay for TV whether we consume it like it or not.
Even people with no interest in sports will watch Internationals out of sheer national pride.

Peter Rhea

FREETV wrote: »

TV Tax, they should call it.

It always was a tax, there was no reason ever to licence receiving equipment.

All tv has to be paid for & at least we know where RTE's funding is coming from & who's interests they are supposed to be acting in.

FREETV

Peter Rhea wrote: »

It always was a tax, there was no reason ever to licence receiving equipment.

All tv has to be paid for & at least we know where RTE's funding is coming from & who's interests they are supposed to be acting in.

I find RTE to be progressively poorer in the last twelve months, lots of low common denominator reality rubbish, cookery programmes, old re runs. That is not what I would call proper television, getting closer to the rubbish on the other network based in Parkwest.

Sam Russell

FREETV wrote: »

I find RTE to be progressively poorer in the last twelve months, lots of low common denominator reality rubbish, cookery programmes, old re runs. That is not what I would call proper television, getting closer to the rubbish on the other network based in Parkwest.

Quite so. The same is true of the BBC. TV quality is suffering as quantity increases. Cooking, property, talent(less) shows, quiz shows. [They even have one called 'Pointless' - how apt!]. ITV has always been a lower common denominator chanel while Ch4 aims to shock with their run of programmes like 'Embarrassing rudey bits' and the like. Ch5 is so bad I cannot comment on it.

However, that is what you get in a recession, or austerity as it is now called.

By the way, I thought TV3 were playing repeats of Vincent Brown until I realised he always bangs on about the same stuff in the same way with the same guests.

Oh for the golden days of 'Monty Python', 'Some mother do 'ave 'em', 'The Likely Lads' and 'Whatever happened to the likely lads' and even 'Steptoe and Son'. I an sure there are loads more.

Even 'Dad's Army' was better than the current s***. The only reason they took that off was that the actors were had got too old to carry on.

Hotblack Desiato

It is rather ironic to have posters giving out about RTE/the TV licence, and at the same time slating TV3. I'm no fan of RTE by any means, but if there was no TV licence you would have TV1, TV2, TV3, three times the wall to wall rubbish. Using other taxes the government might be able to keep TG4 going as a public broadcaster, even if most of the public wouldn't have a clue without the subtitles.

In the meantime, thank goodness we are in the Astra 28.2 footprint, and thank goodness for BBC4. They could shut every other UK TV channel down as far as I'm concerned. It's all very well having Ch4, More4, 4Seven, etc, but when was the last time anything worth watching was on any of them - I can't remember. For a long time Channel 4 was thought provoking TV now it's just mostly vomit provoking.

Sam Russell

If the BBC carried advertising, would it improve or disimprove? Does having advertisers cause a channel to change its focus?

RTE always had advertisers and it certainly affected the programme content. They carried sponsored programmes on the radio for years that allowed the afternoon shutdown to be replaced by them so that was good (perhaps). For TV3, the content usually is the advertisement as product placement takes on a more basic meaning for them.

Currently, there is a heavy emphasis on web content that appears to me to be directing viewers/listeners to the broadcasters website where they are forced to be exposed to web advertisers. Maybe I'm wrong.

Last night, I heard Vincent Brown complaining about the deficit at RTE being 'State Aid' but no mention of TV3's parked €80 million loan held by NAMA at 0% interest. Maybe he has not heard about it, or perhaps he is selective in his approach to such things.

watty

Advertising makes TV rubbish. The TV channel then only exists to deliver Adverts.

There should be NO advertising on RTE Radio.

josip

I must be thick. We currently pay €160 for a TV license with a 15% evasion rate. 400,000 households get a free license and will also be exempted from the broadcasting charge. The broadcasting charge will have a lower evasion rate. Why will the broadcasting charge be €20 more expensive? I must be thick.

Sam Russell

josip wrote: »

I must be thick. We currently pay €160 for a TV license with a 15% evasion rate. 400,000 households get a free license and will also be exempted from the broadcasting charge. The broadcasting charge will have a lower evasion rate. Why will the broadcasting charge be €20 more expensive? I must be thick.

A charge of €14 added to the ESB Networks bill for each connection charged each month would pay for it with no cost of collection. No evasion, no collection fee. You don't pay, you sit in the dark with a blank screen.

cros13

Sam Russell wrote: »

A charge of €14 added to the ESB Networks bill for each connection charged each month would pay for it with no cost of collection. No evasion, no collection fee. You don't pay, you sit in the dark with a blank screen.

So you want to charge me for a television I don't own just because I use electricity. You also want to charge me at more than one property where I also don't have a television?

And you consider that fair?

The reality is it's the 21st century... I've never owned a TV. The only people I know with a TV are my elderly parents. A straw poll in my office failed to turn up someone with a TV.

I have zero problem with a small amount of the fortune I pay in Income Tax going to fund TG4 or domestic film/tv production. But I object to funding a largely private TV station.

I already get harassed several times a year by TV license inspectors who want to enter my home to inspect my non-existent TV (I am now refusing, they can f*** off and come back with a garda and a court order.)

I'm wondering at this point if they do file a court case against me can I claim the 4-5 years worth of license fees in lost wages a nuisance court appearance would cost me.

I strongly suspect that most of that "15% evasion rate" is people who don't owe the license fee in the first place.

BTW, on the other devices argument... I also don't listen to any Irish radio stations, visit RTE.ie or use/view any of the output of RTE in any way. So why am I going to be charged for this again?

hfallada

Peter Rhea wrote: »

You think? You should know before you post something like that, preferably have a link to back it up.

http://businessetc.thejournal.ie/this-is-exactly-how-your-tv-licence-fee-is-used-542836-Aug2012/

I think got the €30 mixed up the €30 million they fail to collect with the 17% evasion rate.

Sam Russell

cros13 wrote: »

So you want to charge me for a television I don't own just because I use electricity. You also want to charge me at more than one property where I also don't have a television?

And you consider that fair?

The reality is it's the 21st century... I've never owned a TV. The only people I know with a TV are my elderly parents. A straw poll in my office failed to turn up someone with a TV.

I have zero problem with a small amount of the fortune I pay in Income Tax going to fund TG4 or domestic film/tv production. But I object to funding a largely private TV station.

I already get harassed several times a year by TV license inspectors who want to enter my home to inspect my non-existent TV (I am now refusing, they can f*** off and come back with a garda and a court order.)

I'm wondering at this point if they do file a court case against me can I claim the 4-5 years worth of license fees in lost wages a nuisance court appearance would cost me.

I strongly suspect that most of that "15% evasion rate" is people who don't owe the license fee in the first place.

BTW, on the other devices argument... I also don't listen to any Irish radio stations, visit RTE.ie or use/view any of the output of RTE in any way. So why am I going to be charged for this again?

I do not know how many people do not own a TV or a method of connecting to the internet, but I suspect it is small at much less than 5%.

If the intention is to fund public cultural events (of which RTE and TG4 are part, but so are orchestras and other RTE enterprises) then it is a small price to pay. It is difficult to seperate PSB functions from the general pap produced as TV these days. Is the Late-Late show cultural? Not now, but it used to be - after all there was no sex in Ireland before The Late-Late!

It would be possible for those without a TV set to declare so on the eltricity supplier contract and be exempt. I]Opt out rather than not bother to buy a licence[/I which might be less prone to evasion.

The Cush

Sam Russell wrote: »

It would be possible for those without a TV set to declare so on the eltricity supplier contract and be exempt. I]Opt out rather than not bother to buy a licence[/I which might be less prone to evasion.

The TV licence changes into a household based Public Broadcasting Charge applied to all eligible households and businesses, regardless of the device used to access content or services, saying you don't have a TV won't exempt a household from the tax.

cros13

Sam Russell wrote: »

I do not know how many people do not own a TV or a method of connecting to the internet, but I suspect it is small at much less than 5%.

If the intention is to fund public cultural events (of which RTE and TG4 are part, but so are orchestras and other RTE enterprises) then it is a small price to pay. It is difficult to seperate PSB functions from the general pap produced as TV these days. Is the Late-Late show cultural? Not now, but it used to be - after all there was no sex in Ireland before The Late-Late!

It would be possible for those without a TV set to declare so on the eltricity supplier contract and be exempt. I]Opt out rather than not bother to buy a licence[/I which might be less prone to evasion.

The point you've missed is that the majority of people with internet and no TV do not consume content from RTE. If the intention is to fund public cultural events why would you give it to RTE? Why not put the whole lot into the arts council, film grants and the sound & vision fund? I'd have far less problem with paying for that even if I didn't consume the content.

Broadcasting in general is on the way out. I can't understand why RTE's 700Mhz spectrum isn't handed over for LTE.

The running theme in conversations with my friends is that TV is for the poor, the stupid and the elderly.

The Cush

cros13 wrote: »

I can't understand why RTE's 700Mhz spectrum isn't handed over for LTE.

The spectrum doesn't belong to RTÉ, it's a state resource managed by Comreg and licenced to users as required. A 700MHz consultation is expected from Comreg in the coming months.

cros13 wrote: »

The running theme in conversations with my friends is that TV is for the poor, the stupid and the elderly.

These figures might inform your conversations in future, from an IPSOS/MRBI study earlier this year

● 97% of Irish adults watch audio-visual content on a TV set EVERYDAY and viewing on a TV set accounts for 89% of all viewing

● The vast majority of adults in Ireland still prefer to watch TV at home, which accounts for 85.4% of all audio-visual content consumed.

● Outside of TV at home, laptop at home viewing is the next most popular activity, accounting for 4.6% of content consumed. Beyond TV at home and laptop at home, the viewing market begins to fragment with, interestingly, watching a TV set in someone else’s home (1.5%) being the third most popular device/location combination.

● Younger Irish viewers are the most likely to be viewing content on non-TV devices but live TV at home on the TV set still makes up the vast majority of their viewing

“The findings of this report clearly indicate that, despite the availability of content on new devices, the vast majority of Irish people are still watching most of their content at home on the TV set and watching it live. Beyond the TV set, laptops are the second-most popular device for viewing content with tablets still only accounting for 2% of content viewed.

TV remains a key source of relaxation in the home as almost half the time we are watching, we are not doing anything else and it is also a highly-social activity as 20% of the time we’re watching TV, we’re talking with others. “

http://tamireland.ie/node/325
http://tamireland.ie/node/326

RadioRetro

On Newstalk today;

"The Communications Minister has confirmed that he has no intention to increase the TV licence fee.

Pat Rabbitte made the comments, after it was reported last week that RTE's Director General Noel Curren would like to see the State broadcaster collect a greater proportion of its funding from public sources - as the company deals with a deficit of 60 million euro.

The TV licence fee will soon be replaced by a public broadcast charge - which will have to be paid by every household in the country - regardless if they own a television.

But Minister Rabbitte says the amount of 160 euro a year - will remain the same and that it won't be increased to bail RTE out."

Sam Russell

RadioRetro wrote: »

On Newstalk today;

"The Communications Minister has confirmed that he has no intention to increase the TV licence fee.

Pat Rabbitte made the comments, after it was reported last week that RTE's Director General Noel Curren would like to see the State broadcaster collect a greater proportion of its funding from public sources - as the company deals with a deficit of 60 million euro.

The TV licence fee will soon be replaced by a public broadcast charge - which will have to be paid by every household in the country - regardless if they own a television.

But Minister Rabbitte says the amount of 160 euro a year - will remain the same and that it won't be increased to bail RTE out."

If every house pays €160 per year, including the 15% that evade it, then RTE will get 15% more. If the collection fee is removed by a cheaper, more efficient method (such as the lecky bill) then RTE will get another 5% so overall RTE will get more dosh but the fee will remain the same. Both win.

The Cush

RadioRetro wrote: »

On Newstalk today;

"The Communications Minister has confirmed that he has no intention to increase the TV licence fee.

Pat Rabbitte made the comments, after it was reported last week that RTE's Director General Noel Curren would like to see the State broadcaster collect a greater proportion of its funding from public sources - as the company deals with a deficit of 60 million euro.

The TV licence fee will soon be replaced by a public broadcast charge - which will have to be paid by every household in the country - regardless if they own a television.

But Minister Rabbitte says the amount of 160 euro a year - will remain the same and that it won't be increased to bail RTE out."

Newstalk podcast here - http://www.newstalk.ie/reader/47.305.377/4331/blog_list/---RTE-cannot-be-financed-by-overdraft-–-Rabbitte

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/rabbitte-rules-out-raising-tv-licence-fee-29227716.html
http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/rabbitte-wont-increase-tv-licence-to-bail-out-rte-592772.html

Capt'n Midnight

josip wrote: »

I must be thick. We currently pay €160 for a TV license with a 15% evasion rate. 400,000 households get a free license and will also be exempted from the broadcasting charge. The broadcasting charge will have a lower evasion rate. Why will the broadcasting charge be €20 more expensive? I must be thick.

Because An Post makes something like €12 million on the licenses, even though they do an abysmal job of collecting them.

http://businessetc.thejournal.ie/this-is-exactly-how-your-tv-licence-fee-is-used-542836-Aug2012/

RTÉ One – €58.01
RTÉ Two – €31.21
RTÉ Radio One – €13.40
RTÉ Raidió na Gaeltachta – €8.33
RTÉ Lyric FM – €4.79
RTÉ Performing Groups – €9.26
RTÉ Support for TG4 – €6.39
Broadcasting Authority of Ireland levy – €1.75
TG4 Deduction – €6.71
BCI Sound and Vision fund – €10.53
Collection Costs from An Post/Communications and Social Protection Departments – €9.62

The €9.62 from An Post no longer applies
What is the BCI for apart from subsidising Setanta via a vendor lock in system ? - it only works if you have a SKY box (yes you can use it in some other boxes, but it has to be activated against a SKY box by serial number)

So yeah the amount of the replacement for TV license should really only be
(160 - 10.53 - 9.62) * (1 -.15)

Which is 119

which is a tenner a month

And this extra tenner will have a few more people looking into moving off the grid which is a good thing ?

watty

The money to Setanta is state subsidy to pay TV. A disgrace.

The An Post collection charge isn't actually excessive, but indeed if the charge is universal then that vanishes.

It's a tax. Governments are always looking at ways to have more taxes. That's why we have VRT, tolls and Road Tax Disc, Fuel Excise Duty and VAT even though collection via Petrol/Diesel slight increase in duty would be fairer and cost less to collect and police. They don't want a single higher rate of VAT for fuel instead of Excise & VAT as part of VAT goes to EU.

Sam Russell

watty wrote: »

The money to Setanta is state subsidy to pay TV. A disgrace.

The An Post collection charge isn't actually excessive, but indeed if the charge is universal then that vanishes.

It's a tax. Governments are always looking at ways to have more taxes. That's why we have VRT, tolls and Road Tax Disc, Fuel Excise Duty and VAT even though collection via Petrol/Diesel slight increase in duty would be fairer and cost less to collect and police. They don't want a single higher rate of VAT for fuel instead of Excise & VAT as part of VAT goes to EU.

To collect Road Tax by adding excise duty to fuel would add at least 50c per litre, but its effect would be more on petrol than diesel.

Collection costs via the lecky bill is zero since all potential payers have an electricity bill. In fact, that would be an ideal way of placing the liability on those with electricity bills, since the payer of the bill is usually the consumer. If you do not want to pay, then you can sit in the dark looking at a blank screen. If it was only €12 or €13.33 per month, people would compare it with payTV (which is extra).

Capt'n Midnight

watty wrote: »

The An Post collection charge isn't actually excessive, but indeed if the charge is universal then that vanishes..

There are two parts to the charge €9.62,

and the 10% of license fees that are probably collectable - the difference between 15% evasion here and 5.2% in the UK.

http://www.tvlicensing.co.uk/about/foi-licences-facts-and-figures-AB18/ The latest official evasion rate for the United Kingdom is 5.2% of all licensable places (for the 2009/10 financial year).

And lets not forget that An Post can send out warning letters cheaper than anyone

watty

People here have less regard for the State/Law than in UK. A legacy of Colonialism. Hey lads, the administration in Dublin Castle has changed. We are robbing ourselves not the British any more.

At one stage certain parts of N.I. had 90% evasion.

FREETV

watty wrote: »

The money to Setanta is state subsidy to pay TV. A disgrace.

The An Post collection charge isn't actually excessive, but indeed if the charge is universal then that vanishes.

It's a tax. Governments are always looking at ways to have more taxes. That's why we have VRT, tolls and Road Tax Disc, Fuel Excise Duty and VAT even though collection via Petrol/Diesel slight increase in duty would be fairer and cost less to collect and police. They don't want a single higher rate of VAT for fuel instead of Excise & VAT as part of VAT goes to EU.

It is all a con like the carbon tax. Watch the documentary Thrive fellow boardsies on you tube and you will all be educated, the EU is a really bad idea if you really knew why it was established in the first place.
Follow the trail of the money, look at all the crap programming since August 2008 on RTE.

Forcing people who never watch television to pay the tax is undemocratic to say the least. More taxes, more control and a larger debt grip on the drone workers. Governments don't work for us, they work for the Elitists and will say anything to get in power for the power, control and the pursuit of wealth, what cushy jobs they have with media coverage, almost treated like celebrities and for what? Anyone who is looking forward to an Oireachtas TV channel to watch these plebs weekly is out of touch with reality and what is going on around them. Do you guys believe the farce going on in the Dail?

All these tax increases will have people further on their knees. Can you all see the pattern? The money going to Setanta is another contribution of further dumbing down, distracting,conditioning/acquiescing the sport loving public in order to stop mass outcry, protests and turmoil on the streets. Sad but true.

Apogee

Irish Independent wrote:

THE number of people jailed last year for the non-payment of TV licence fines jumped by almost 50pc.

According to figures provided by the Irish Prison Service, the numbers of people jailed for non-payment of licence fines last year increased from 183 to 272 – a jump of 89 or 48.6pc. In the past five years, since the recession took hold, the number jailed for this offence has increased more than five-fold.

Figures for 2008 show that 49 people were jailed, rising to 75 in 2009, 152 in 2010 and 183 in 2011.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/jailings-for-nonpayment-of-tv-licence-fine-up-50pc-29267389.html

Sam Russell

People should not be gaoled for non-payement of the TV licence, but gaoled for non-payment of the fine. The fine should still stand and have to be paid after release from gaol. Two hours in gaol instead of €500 fine is obviously attractive alternative for some. Two hours in gaol in addition to a €500 fine is not a good choice for anyone. The law is there to allow the deduction of fines from wages or social welfare.

Gaol is there for criminals, not poor fools with no money.

7upfree

RadioRetro wrote: »

On Newstalk today;

"The Communications Minister has confirmed that he has no intention to increase the TV licence fee.

Pat Rabbitte made the comments, after it was reported last week that RTE's Director General Noel Curren would like to see the State broadcaster collect a greater proportion of its funding from public sources - as the company deals with a deficit of 60 million euro.

The TV licence fee will soon be replaced by a public broadcast charge - which will have to be paid by every household in the country - regardless if they own a television.

But Minister Rabbitte says the amount of 160 euro a year - will remain the same and that it won't be increased to bail RTE out."

They wouldn't be dealing with a deficit like that if they paid normal wages and stopped paying a fortune for imports and sports rights.

zg3409

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/broadcast-charge-to-be-less-than-tv-licence-if-more-people-pay-up-29366899.html

Lastest news

The Cush

Latest news

New proposals for a replacement for TV licence fee

The Minister for Communications, Energy and Natural Resources, Pat Rabbitte, has published proposals to replace the current television licence fee with a public service broadcasting charge which will apply to every household.

The new charge will come into effect on 1st January 2015 but will not exceed the current television licence fee of €160.

...

The Minister will be commencing a public consultation process on how the new public service broadcasting charge will be applied and collected.

http://www.rte.ie/news/business/2013/0717/463066-new-proposals-for-a-replacement-for-tv-licence-fee/

Every single home to be hit with new Broadcasting Charge

...

Nobody will be able to refuse to pay the charge because it will apply regardless of whether you have a television, computer or any other device that can pick up public information.

...

There would be no excuse for not paying the charge, and the only exceptions would be for those currently exempt from the TV licence fee such as households in receipt of the household benefits package.

...

The changes were approved by the Cabinet yesterday after it considered the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland’s five-year review of how public service broadcasting is funded.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/every-single-home-to-be-hit-with-new-broadcasting-charge-29428338.html

zg3409

He does not say if they collect more money than they did using the old system, where that would go, to RTE or will the fee be reduced for everyone....I think not