I dont watch any tv services in Ireland....

jenjenten

...so why must i pay a licence fee?, i havent watched any Irish tv channel in years, nor any radio, i dont visit the website or use any streaming services that the national broadcaster has.

So why the hell am i billed 160 quid each year for something i NEVER use

TheChizler

jenjenten wrote: »

...so why must i pay a licence fee?, i havent watched any Irish tv channel in years, nor any radio, i dont visit the website or use any streaming services that the national broadcaster has.

So why the hell am i billed 160 quid each year for something i NEVER use

Not supporting or criticising the law here, just being technical, but do you have a tv?

Elmo

jenjenten wrote: »

...so why must i pay a licence fee?, i havent watched any Irish tv channel in years, nor any radio, i dont visit the website or use any streaming services that the national broadcaster has.

So why the hell am i billed 160 quid each year for something i NEVER use

The TV Licence doesn't just cover TV. It also pays for national institutions like the concert orchestras.

If you have a TV you need to pay for a TV licence, if you don't watch TV then you have no requirement for a TV.

retalivity

jenjenten wrote: »

...so why must i pay a licence fee?, i havent watched any Irish tv channel in years, nor any radio, i dont visit the website or use any streaming services that the national broadcaster has.

So why the hell am i billed 160 quid each year for something i NEVER use

Dont have a tv then??
I havent had one for 5 yrs, one of the best things I ever did

Mr Pseudonym

I support the License Fee, though I've many criticisms of the institutions it funds. But, without a neutral broadcaster providing news and current affairs as RTE Television and Radio do, the political system would be a lot less informed. You may not require Morning Ireland, Today with Sean O'Rourke, News at One, Drivetime, Six O'clock News, Prime Time, etc. But, those who make decisions affecting you do. That is to mention nothing of their cultural contribution in the form of Sport and Arts.

As Elmo said, if you do not use any license funded services, get rid of your TV and buy a monitor which can connect to your computer. Ofc, that will only be a solution for a while, because a universal License Fee is being brought in.

Nonoperational

jenjenten wrote: »

...so why must i pay a licence fee?, i havent watched any Irish tv channel in years, nor any radio, i dont visit the website or use any streaming services that the national broadcaster has.

So why the hell am i billed 160 quid each year for something i NEVER use

Because if you have a TV it's the law that you have to pay it. But I'm sure you know that already...

SamAK

Wait until the universal broadcasting charge is brought in...no hope then!

AnonoBoy

retalivity wrote: »

Dont have a tv then??
I havent had one for 5 yrs, one of the best things I ever did

That won't cut it soon though.

Peppa Pig

jenjenten wrote: »

...so why must i pay a licence fee?, i havent watched any Irish tv channel in years, nor any radio, i dont visit the website or use any streaming services that the national broadcaster has.

So why the hell am i billed 160 quid each year for something i NEVER use

A quick trawl of your posts show you have watched Love/Hate, Amber and Mrs Brown's boys.;)

On what channel did you watch these?
Love/Hate and Amber were only on RTE

stimpson

Mr Pseudonym wrote: »

But, without a neutral broadcaster providing news and current affairs as RTE Television and Radio do, the political system would be a lot less informed.

Aha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.

Good one.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

your money isn't actually yours, you're just given permission to use some of it for personal projects on a regular basis. from time to time the state can decide it needs more and there's nothing you can do about it.

my advice is to start watching the **** out of tg4, really get your moneys worth out of it and learn a useless dead language while you're at it.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

Peppa Pig wrote: »

A quick trawl of your posts show you have watched Love/Hate, Amber and Mrs Brown's boys.;)

On what channel did you watch these?
Love/Hate and Amber were only on RTE

they were on dvd.... i know loads of people who only watched love hate when the box sets came out

Elmo

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar wrote: »

my advice is to start watching the **** out of tg4, really get your moneys worth out of it and learn a useless dead language while you're at it.

I agree though only because it is a much better channel and it has some good imports as well.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar wrote: »

they were on dvd.... i know loads of people who only watched love hate when the box sets came out

RTÉ did commission these shows from the licence fee.

Mr Pseudonym

stimpson wrote: »

Aha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha.

Good one.

How compelling an argument! What exactly is RTE News's bias?

Peppa Pig

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar wrote: »

they were on dvd.... i know loads of people who only watched love hate when the box sets came out

The posts were when the shows were on tv.

Elmo

Mr Pseudonym wrote: »

How compelling an argument! What exactly is RTE News's bias?

IMO they thread too softly, but so do must news-agencies in this country. E.g. the penalty points system and the firing of Gemma O'Doherty

http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2014/mar/25/irish-independent-ireland

This post is my own, boards may want to delete it, because you have to thread softly. :rolleyes:

celtic tiger 2011

Elmo wrote: »

I agree though only because it is a much better channel and it has some good imports as well.



RTÉ did commission these shows from the licence fee.

Please explain to me how it is a much better channel , most of the programmes are in Irish and you can't understand them?.

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar

Elmo wrote: »

I agree though only because it is a much better channel and it has some good imports as well.



RTÉ did commission these shows from the licence fee.

and could easily have made them using advertising revenue if rte wasn't holding a gun to the bank accounts of everyone with a tv. well, maybe.. always a big chance they're too ****ing useless to survive without the state subsidy

Peppa Pig wrote: »

The posts were when the shows were on tv.

well then the OP is caught out rotten

thenightrider

Peppa Pig wrote: »

A quick trawl of your posts show you have watched Love/Hate, Amber and Mrs Brown's boys.;)

On what channel did you watch these?
Love/Hate and Amber were only on RTE

I watched Love hate on Hulu and DVD never watch Tv as i have Netflix,Hulu and loads more streaming services that i will use before i have the need for watching TV

Elmo

celtic tiger 2011 wrote: »

Please explain to me how it is a much better channel , most of the programmes are in Irish and you can't understand them?.

You seem to be able to read (they have subtitles). And just because something is in an language other then English does not mean it is necessarily bad. (Also how do you know I don't understand them?)

IMO TG4 have produce a huge range of good dramas and documentaries over the years. They have also, like many TV broadcasters, made some bad decisions. They continue to buy in some of the better US TV shows.

and could easily have made them using advertising revenue if rte wasn't holding a gun to the bank accounts of everyone with a tv. well, maybe.. always a big chance they're too ****ing useless to survive without the state subsidy

I think they only broke-even on the last season of Love/Hate, drama is expensive to make. There are other broadcasters that could produce such dramas and they don't get funding why didn't they commission it?

celtic tiger 2011

Elmo wrote: »

You seem to be able to read (they have subtitles). And just because something is in an language other then English does not mean it is necessarily bad. (Also how do you know I don't understand them?)

IMO TG4 have produce a huge range of good dramas and documentaries over the years. They have also, like many TV broadcasters, made some bad decisions. They continue to buy in some of the better US TV shows.



I think they only broke-even on the last season of Love/Hate, drama is expensive to make. There are other broadcasters that could produce such dramas and they don't get funding why didn't they commission it?

I have to disagree there . I think their home produced stuff is **** and its a waste of the tax payers money considering very few people in this country understand Irish.

Mr Pseudonym

Elmo wrote: »

IMO they thread too softly, but so do must news-agencies in this country. E.g. the penalty points system and the firing of Gemma O'Doherty

http://www.theguardian.com/media/greenslade/2014/mar/25/irish-independent-ireland

This post is my own, boards may want to delete it, because you have to thread softly. :rolleyes:

I agree that RTE News threads too softly. But that is out of incompetence rather than bias, IMO. Sean O'Rourke, Audrey Carville, etc, are however capable of incisive and unbiased interviewing.

I don't think the Gemma O'Doherty story is as clear cut as Roy Gleenslade and The Phoenix would have us believe.

endacl

celtic tiger 2011 wrote: »

Please explain to me how it is a much better channel , most of the programmes are in Irish and you can't understand them?.

Yeah I can.

Elmo

celtic tiger 2011 wrote: »

I have to disagree there . I think their home produced stuff is **** and its a waste of the tax payers money considering very few people in this country understand Irish.

Well I am going to disagree with you, some of there home produced stuff is excellent. Your one focus Celtic Tiger is language. They have produced some very well made dramas and documentaries.

Not all of their stuff is great but I never said it was.

Sturgeon's law 90% of everything is crap (though I would say 80%).

Mr Pseudonym wrote: »

I don't think the Gemma O'Doherty story is as clear cut as Roy Gleenslade and The Phoenix would have us believe.

I am sure it is not but I was just giving an example.

TV and Radio isn't just about News and Current Affairs.

SamAK

Sir Digby Chicken Caesar wrote: »

your money isn't actually yours, you're just given permission to use some of it for personal projects on a regular basis. from time to time the state can decide it needs more and there's nothing you can do about it.

Reminds me of when I realized that 'our' money doesn't reside in some fancy-shmancy secure vault when you deposit it in the bank.

Rather it vanishes into thin air and across the world, funding this, that, and the other, loans to corporations and what have you....and we get paid a small pittance in 'interest' for the use of it!

Not like Gringotts in Diagon Alley, that's for sure :pac:

stimpson

Mr Pseudonym wrote: »

How compelling an argument! What exactly is RTE News's bias?

Seriously?

Their highest paid presenter is Fianna Fail royalty. You couldn't make it up.

harney

Mr Pseudonym wrote: »

I agree that RTE News threads too softly. But that is out of incompetence rather than bias, IMO. Sean O'Rourke, Audrey Carville, etc, are however capable of incisive and unbiased interviewing.

I don't think the Gemma O'Doherty story is as clear cut as Roy Gleenslade and The Phoenix would have us believe.

OK, I'm confused now. Are you agreeing with the poster, or trolling him/her for writing threads rather than treads?

CountyHurler

Peppa Pig wrote: »

On what channel did you watch these?
Love/Hate and Amber were only on RTE

Jaysus, you dont away with anything here on boards... LOL

Elmo

stimpson wrote: »

Their highest paid presenter is Fianna Fail royalty. You couldn't make it up.

He isn't a News and Current Affairs Presenter (then he seems bored most of the time to me).

Mr Pseudonym

I believe that TG4 is of value to this country, and commissions and produces some excellent content. But, most of it's schedule is not impressive. It's also more expensive than one might think, and has on audience share of less than 3%.

It receives a subvention from the Dept of Communications, Energy, and Natural Resources. From 2011, it was decided to reduce this grant, and have the shortfall be made up from the Television License Fee takings. In 2012, the subvention equalled ~€22m, and the License Fee contribution equalled €9.2m. There exists a legacy arrangement from when TG4 was set up: RTE provides one hour of Irish-language content per day. This cost RTE €7.75m in 2012. The channel also has ~€3m in commercial revenues.

From TG4 Annual Public Funding Review 2011, a report for the BAI:

"Although TG4 are not in direct receipt of funding for the production of commissioned programming, the broadcaster facilitates the applications available to the industry for specific productions. The source of this funding is the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) Sound and Vision Initiative and also the Irish Language Broadcast Fund (ILBF). Total funding secured for TG4 commissions in 2011 totalled €9.5m."

Put simply, some productions which TG4 broadcasts received a total subsidy of €9.5m.

As a public service broadcaster, it's role should be to provide maximum utility to the License Payer. IMO, outbidding RTE for the rights to the Heineken Cup was for reasons of self-interest and not for the benefit of License Payers.

doolox

I think there should be a cap on peoples earnings in RTE and other public broadcasting institutions such as Lyric and TG4.

Why should high earners on €500,000 pa be paid by people many of them very poor, with a compulsory charge of €160 pa??

They should have ten people employed at €50,000 each rather than one "star" at €500,000.

They should get rid of all the overpaid stars and work with ordinary people on ordinary salaries.

TG4 is not as bad as people make out. It has subtitles and many unusual programs which would never make it on to "mainstream" broadcasting against such lowest common denominator stuff as X factor and the Voice. Another thing is I would get rid of Kathryn Thomas, overpaid for what she does.
It was great that they got rid of Pat Kenny, overpriced for what he does, now get rid of Tubridy and that Cork guy on the Saturday night slot or at least cut them down to below 60k pa.

Also get rid of Dobson who thinks everybody else in the country are "idiots"