why never a movement against the Television Licence ? (READ POST #2 BEFORE POSTING)

Elemonator

The Parish Priest. wrote: »

Following the very successful campaign against water charges, why not a similar campaign against the tv licence ? which btw costs the exact same amount as the Alan Kelly water charges . Funnily enough the only two parties who ever wanted to abolish the tv licence were the Pds and Renua

TV isn't a basic human necessity or right.

There's also this thing about how we are paying for water with our motor tax, which is patently wrong. The Motor Tax take clearly doesn't cover it.

TV is different, but I don't think you can have a whitewashed view of all the factors involved.

mfceiling

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

IMO, there are very few overpaid persons in RTÉ.

Really? Fancy naming the "very few" who are overpaid?

Elmo

Sam Russell wrote: »

The main reason for keeping the licence fee (or whatever it might be called) is to remove it from political interference. This is only partially successful as politicians have refused to increase it and have hived off bits to try and control RTE. (Think of Ray Burke for one).

It should be indexed in some way, but RTE should be under some sort of public scrutiny to stop them paying themselves silly amounts, and being judged by the public on their performance.

BAI and ComReg should regulate increases in the fee. It should be part of all telecoms bill/top ups.

- Telecoms have no requirements for content unlike broadcasters
- it could be used for the levy that the BAI receive from broadcasters
- it could reduce the need for TG4 to have exchequer funding
- it could have no government/political involvement with both regulators setting the amount to be collected
- it would be a minuscule addition to broadband and phone bills.
- it would completely reduce the amount paid for collection
- it would always be paid, no court cases, no non-payees, no fines
- everyone pays

Sam Russell

Elmo wrote: »

BAI and ComReg should regulate increases in the fee. It should be part of all telecoms bill/top ups.

- Telecoms have no requirements for content unlike broadcasters
- it could be used for the levy that the BAI receive from broadcasters
- it could reduce the need for TG4 to have exchequer funding
- it could have no government/political involvement with both regulators setting the amount to be collected
- it would be a minuscule addition to broadband and phone bills.
- it would completely reduce the amount paid for collection
- it would always be paid, no court cases, no non-payees, no fines
- everyone pays

That is another approach.

For example, a levy of 0.1c or even 0.5c per teletext message would raise a huge amount from the billions of text messages.

The current TV licence fee of €13 per month could be spread across a lot of bills and raise the amount (or slightly more) by adding it to broadband, telephone bills, electricity bills, etc.

In the end, if we want quality content on RTE, we have to pay for it. Last night at 10 pm, BBC TWO broadcast a six month old repeat of 'Mock the Week', a satirical review of the (then) weeks news, a bit out of place six months late. So it is not just RTE that broadcasts repeats in prime time.

It is not possible to produce high quality programmes on a shoestring over a long period. Quality ideas, quality producers and directors, quality writers and most of all, talent before the cameras, are all required, and they all demand to be paid (a lot). We accept it in soccer, rugby, and most sports.

It applies in TV as well. RTE does very well to compete as much as it does against the BBC which has an enormous budget in comparison. They could not do so without the funding they get from the licence fee, however it is collected. Otherwise, 90% of RTE content will be imported rubbish, with 10% being home grown rubbish. Just look at the content on TV3, 3BE, and 3E.

decor58

BBC is the largest original content broadcaster in the world and the largest repeat broadcaster. Drama is RTÉ's weak point but drama is so expensive. Look at UK tv, so many channels and with the exception of the main 4/5 channels, the schedules are all repeats or US product.

bmwguy

Usc, no protests as only workers pay it. Tax hikes, no protest, same reason.

Water charges, uproar and anarchy because social welfare recipients had to pay them too. This is not opinion, this is not winding up or trolling, this is true.

I am hereby calling on our unemployed brethern to rise up and fight on our behalf by marching outside RTE. It worked last time, go again.

icdg

I said no more mentions of water charges. Bmwguy take a warning.

nhunter100

bmwguy wrote:

Water charges, uproar and anarchy because social welfare recipients had to pay them too. This is not opinion, this is not winding up or trolling, this is true.

It's not true, 600k households refused to engage. Majority of people who took part in the large marches were and are workers a study by a Maynooth lecturer just to dispell such nonsense claims.

icdg

Nhunter100 banned for 48 hours. I just said no more as much as mentioning the words "water charges". I'm not sure you've noticed, but this is the Broadcasting forum, and water charges are never on topic

decky1

fair play to you for bringing this up, the amount of repeats +adverts is unreal, + the money these 'stars' get most of them wouldn't qualify for a job on Bosco, but typical Ireland everyone sits back and moans but will not stand up and be heard.

icdg

On review nhunter100's ban lifted, on the basis that he apologised and pointed out the closeness of his and my previous post.

It does not change the fact that the post was completely off topic and ignored my general warning in post #2 of the thread, and so he takes a warning.

It will be a ban for the next poster whose post is not even on topic for the forum

bmwguy

In other news, the fact RTE has lost 6 nations rights makes it now completely redundant for me. I'm sure loads of people feel the same. Love Hate last thing I watched on it and enjoyed. But it's not worth 160 a year.

political analyst

http://www.thejournal.ie/tv-licence-3322048-Apr2017/

PEOPLE MAY HAVE to input a TV licence number into the RTÉ Player if they want to access programmes in the near future.

The government is exploring options to increase the rate of compliance and, therefore revenue, from the TV licence. It is currently examining a system used by the BBC in the UK.

I assume that would mean viewers in Northern Ireland would have to pay a subscription for access to the RTÉ Player, right?! After all, it wouldn't be fair if people outside the Republic could access the Player free of charge while residents of the Republic would have to have a TV licence to access the Player.

Johnboy1951

political analyst wrote: »

http://www.thejournal.ie/tv-licence-3322048-Apr2017/

PEOPLE MAY HAVE to input a TV licence number into the RTÉ Player if they want to access programmes in the near future.

The government is exploring options to increase the rate of compliance and, therefore revenue, from the TV licence. It is currently examining a system used by the BBC in the UK.

I assume that would mean viewers in Northern Ireland would have to pay a subscription for access to the RTÉ Player, right?! After all, it wouldn't be fair if people outside the Republic could access the Player free of charge while residents of the Republic would have to have a TV licence to access the Player.

What about those who do not required a licence due to disability or age?
Do they have a licence number to put in?

elperello

Probably just a kite flying exercise.
The North as you point out would be difficult to sort out.
Also how many devices could log into the Player at one time from the same licence?
Could kids away in college use the number from home?
What would happen if you are away on holiday?

elperello

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

What about those who do not required a licence due to disability or age?
Do they have a licence number to put in?

AFAIK they send out a licence to those categories.

Johnboy1951

elperello wrote: »

Probably just a kite flying exercise.
The North as you point out would be difficult to sort out.
Also how many devices could log into the Player at one time from the same licence?
Could kids away in college use the number from home?
What would happen if you are away on holiday?

The licence covers the premises for which it is issued, and also I believe the stream is geo-locked.

elperello

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

The licence covers the premises for which it is issued, and also I believe the stream is geo-locked.

So RTE plan to break the internet!

Johnboy1951

elperello wrote: »

So RTE plan to break the internet!

no idea what you mean

elperello

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

no idea what you mean

Sorry I wasn't clear there.
What I mean is that if you can't access the Player anywhere you like if you have paid the licence it just goes against the whole concept of the World Wide Web.

Johnboy1951

elperello wrote: »

Sorry I wasn't clear there.
What I mean is that if you can't access the Player anywhere you like if you have paid the licence it just goes against the whole concept of the World Wide Web.

yes ..... but the present licence is for the premises, so that would need to be changed to allow it.

For instance if you have a holiday home and bring a TV to it for the hols, then that premises needs a separate licence to the licence for the main dwelling.

elperello

Johnboy1951 wrote: »

yes ..... but the present licence is for the premises, so that would need to be changed to allow it.

For instance if you have a holiday home and bring a TV to it for the hols, then that premises needs a separate licence to the licence for the main dwelling.

Yes, that's the current set up for a "broadcast receiving apparatus".

I was thinking of a scenario where dad is at home accessing the Player on his laptop, mum is at the holiday home watching the Player on the tablet and one of the kids decides to check out a match on his phone in the pub.

They have a licence at home will they be legal?

Johnboy1951

elperello wrote: »

Yes, that's the current set up for a "broadcast receiving apparatus".

I was thinking of a scenario where dad is at home accessing the Player on his laptop, mum is at the holiday home watching the Player on the tablet and one of the kids decides to check out a match on his phone in the pub.

They have a licence at home will they be legal?

That is what the minister would have to sort out if he goes ahead with this idea, as well as other items raised.

political analyst

elperello wrote: »

Sorry I wasn't clear there.
What I mean is that if you can't access the Player anywhere you like if you have paid the licence it just goes against the whole concept of the World Wide Web.

You cannot have paid the licence fee if you're not a resident of the Republic. If a programme is made available on the Player and it's available there for a relatively long period, you can watch it when you come back from your holidays (if you are a resident of the Republic).

Elmo

political analyst wrote: »

You cannot have paid the licence fee if you're not a resident of the Republic. If a programme is made available on the Player and it's available there for a relatively long period, you can watch it when you come back from your holidays (if you are a resident of the Republic).

It a stupid unworkable way of collection. It goes against the GFA re. TG4, it deminishes the idea of RTÉ player international and it puts an onus on TV3 with little regard to radio broadcasters including RTÉ Radio.