Absolute drivel paid for by your TV Licence

super_furry

Permabear wrote: »

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Netflix - 100m subscribers paying €95.88 a year = €9588000000 a year.

Economy of scale, blah, blah, blah.

Permabear

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Ave Sodalis

We don't have a tv license because we don't have a tv, but I can see they're trying to bring in the charge for laptops too... imagine if other places did that! Imagine paying for Netflix even if you don't use it, or Amazon Prime but never have used Amazon before in your life. There would be uproar.

Permabear

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MadYaker

If RTE want people to pay for their service (or quality public service broadcasting as they put it) they should just put everything behind a paywall and let the people who want it pay for it. But of course they won't do that because they know RTE put out zero worthwhile content, apart from the odd primetime program. I use Netflix and Amazon Prime both of which I pay for. I already paid VAT on my TV and I also pay for internet and VAT on that too so why the fcuk should I pay a "broadcasting charge" for a service I never use and have no need for? Just so RTE presenters who present absolute horse sh!te like the late late show and joe duffy's bullsh!t radio can be paid six figure salaries?

Sleepy

I can see the argument for one publicly funded independent TV Channel and one radio station if the focus is kept on news, current affairs, arts, culture and domestic sport (i.e. the GAA, League of Ireland, Provincial Rugby and International sports where Ireland are competing) with a couple of locally produced dramas in the weekly schedule. There is no valid reason to spend public money on the likes of Fair City, Irelands Fittest Family or imported US/UK dramas. (Fair City would, I'm sure, be taken on by a commercial Irish station such as TV3 if it has ratings that warrant the cost of it's production).

I would imagine such a station could be supported quite easily (and ad-free) with the current level of TV licence were it run efficiently. Who cares if the "top talent" gets poached by commercial networks? Replace the ones who leave for big money with new blood (NB: not the current crop's kids), a certain level of real journalistic talent is likely to stay anyway once they're reasonably paid and allowed to report the news and analyse current affairs without interference from the likes of Rupert Murdoch. Others will simply stay for the job stability or lack of interest in moving overseas.

end of the road

Permabear wrote: »

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not financially viable. the property rte has will be used for the producing of programing where required. selling it would only bring in short term cash but would leave the operator unable to be flexible long term. public services have to be paid for and decentralisation of public services hasn't worked.
the vast majority of rte's radio stations fulfil a public service obligation. what they provide will never be provided commercially. even 2fm can have a place. follow the model of bbc radio 1 which is 10 times the commercial stations, or target an older audience and be a bbc radio 2 type format (the most listened to radio station in the uk)
there are lots of issues with rte but the digital radio stations are decent and radio 1 was a fcuking god send during storm athilia when the power was out as it had something to pass most of the day. rte 2 television might be no loss granted. those are separate to the issue of a tv licence however.
the tv licence is to have a tv, it just so happens to go to rte . even if rte was abolished, the likely reality is that you would still have to pay a tv licence.
i hate having to pay it myself and the broadcasting charge i'm absolutely pissed over and i will be protesting it, but i'm also aware of the fact that the licence isn't a rte charge but a charge for having a tv, which so happens to go to rte.
rte will not be made a subscription service, it's a public service and it's programming has to be accessible to all.

end of the road

Sleepy wrote: »

I can see the argument for one publicly funded independent TV Channel and one radio station if the focus is kept on news, current affairs, arts, culture and domestic sport (i.e. the GAA, League of Ireland, Provincial Rugby and International sports where Ireland are competing) with a couple of locally produced dramas in the weekly schedule. There is no valid reason to spend public money on the likes of Fair City, Irelands Fittest Family or imported US/UK dramas. (Fair City would, I'm sure, be taken on by a commercial Irish station such as TV3 if it has ratings that warrant the cost of it's production).

I would imagine such a station could be supported quite easily (and ad-free) with the current level of TV licence were it run efficiently. Who cares if the "top talent" gets poached by commercial networks? Replace the ones who leave for big money with new blood (NB: not the current crop's kids), a certain level of real journalistic talent is likely to stay anyway once they're reasonably paid and allowed to report the news and analyse current affairs without interference from the likes of Rupert Murdoch. Others will simply stay for the job stability or lack of interest in moving overseas.

Who cares if the "top talent" gets poached by commercial networks you say? well, rte and some of us who have to pay for it whether we want to or not do. as these people seem to bring in the ratings for better or worse. the reality is those who bring in the most ratings and in rte's case, advertisers will be paid high salaries, the same is the case for bbc and i wouldn't be surprised if other state and other broadcasters are the same.

MadYaker

The BBC is entirely funded by taxpayers, they don't run ads. There are plenty of people in the BBC on 7 figure salaries. I think thats insanity but unlike RTE the BBC actually produce stuff that is worth watching / listening too.

Are Am Eye

Ubbquittious wrote: »

That's not true at all. You don't need a huge country to create a TV show. This "country isn't big enough" is just a defeatist excuse to take the lazy way out with so many things.

The difference between Ireland and any other random country with less than a few million people is that as soon as you try to get anything done here a bunch of well-pampered D4 lads on several 100k a year show up first impeding your progress until you give them a massive wad of cash.

It's just impossible to get anything done here without paying huge money to "the system" for very little in return

I don't know what you mean by 'defeatist' because you're going to get a television service anyway. There is no defeat. You just won't be paying extra money for RTE to duplicate what you're already getting. RTE collect money off us. They then spend that money on Eastenders, Coronation Street, Emerdale, Hawaii Five O, Neighbours, Home and Away, Bella and the Bulldogs, Every Witch Way, Jessie, Deadly 60, The Simpsons, Judge Judy, Doctor Phil, Ellen, Oprah, Line of Duty, Fear Thy Neighbour, The Good Karma Hospital, Bad Education, Gotham Wrath of the Villains, Shortland Street, Doctors, A Place To Call Home, Euronews, Sabrina the Teenage Witch (I'm ambivalent on this one), Horrible Histories, Me Too, Mr Mender and the Chummyjiggers, Charlie and Lola, Pablo, Peppa Pig, Brainfreeze, Swashbuckle, The Tom and Jerry Show, Shaun The Sheep, The Big Bang Theory, Champions League Live, Champions League Magazine, Rick Steins Long Weekends etc. etc. RTE also buys and shows a rake of films every week.

Now I don't watch the above crap. If I did watch it then I already have it and have paid for it on my Sky subscription. If I want to watch movies then I'll download them or watch them on netflix or sky. I don't want to pay RTE for duplicating this. Yet I'm legally obliged to. All the above listed programs (just a small sample) are foreign tv available more efficiently and cheaply else where.

RTE should exist only to provide irish news, irish current affairs and irish sport.

end of the road

MadYaker wrote: »

The BBC is entirely funded by taxpayers, they don't run ads. There are plenty of people in the BBC on 7 figure salaries. I think thats insanity but unlike RTE the BBC actually produce stuff that is worth watching / listening too.

agreed. but the state broadcasters will always pay a high salary to those who bring in the most ratings, the same with major commercial broadcasters.
i think the likes of tuberty and darcy are not to a standard that would require the salary they do, but the broadcasting market seems to disagree with me unfortunately. poach back pat kenny and get rid of tuberty or darcy would be my suggestion.

Are Am Eye wrote: »

I don't know what you mean by 'defeatist' because you're going to get a television service anyway. There is no defeat. You just won't be paying extra money for RTE to duplicate what you're already getting. RTE collect money off us. They then spend that money on Eastenders, Coronation Street, Emerdale, Hawaii Five O, Neighbours, Home and Away, Bella and the Bulldogs, Every Witch Way, Jessie, Deadly 60, The Simpsons, Judge Judy, Doctor Phil, Ellen, Oprah, Line of Duty, Fear Thy Neighbour, The Good Karma Hospital, Bad Education, Gotham Wrath of the Villains, Shortland Street, Doctors, A Place To Call Home, Euronews, Sabrina the Teenage Witch (I'm ambivalent on this one), Horrible Histories, Me Too, Mr Mender and the Chummyjiggers, Charlie and Lola, Pablo, Peppa Pig, Brainfreeze, Swashbuckle, The Tom and Jerry Show, Shaun The Sheep, The Big Bang Theory, Champions League Live, Champions League Magazine, Rick Steins Long Weekends etc. etc. RTE also buys and shows a rake of films every week.

Now I don't watch the above crap. If I did watch it then I already have it and have paid for it on my Sky subscription. If I want to watch movies then I'll download them or watch them on netflix or sky. I don't want to pay RTE for duplicating this. Yet I'm legally obliged to. All the above listed programs (just a small sample) are foreign tv available more efficiently and cheaply else where.

RTE should exist only to provide irish news, irish current affairs and irish sport.

how are those programs availible more efficiently elsewhere? showing a tv program is showing a tv program regardless of the channel it's on.

Permabear

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Ubbquittious

Are Am Eye wrote: »

I don't know what you mean by 'defeatist' because you're going to get a television service anyway. There is no defeat. You just won't be paying extra money for RTE to duplicate what you're already getting. RTE collect money off us. They then spend that money on Eastenders, Coronation Street, Emerdale, Hawaii Five O, Neighbours, Home and Away, Bella and the Bulldogs, Every Witch Way, Jessie, Deadly 60, The Simpsons, Judge Judy, Doctor Phil, Ellen, Oprah, Line of Duty, Fear Thy Neighbour, The Good Karma Hospital, Bad Education, Gotham Wrath of the Villains, Shortland Street, Doctors, A Place To Call Home, Euronews, Sabrina the Teenage Witch (I'm ambivalent on this one), Horrible Histories, Me Too, Mr Mender and the Chummyjiggers, Charlie and Lola, Pablo, Peppa Pig, Brainfreeze, Swashbuckle, The Tom and Jerry Show, Shaun The Sheep, The Big Bang Theory, Champions League Live, Champions League Magazine, Rick Steins Long Weekends etc. etc. RTE also buys and shows a rake of films every week.

Now I don't watch the above crap. If I did watch it then I already have it and have paid for it on my Sky subscription. If I want to watch movies then I'll download them or watch them on netflix or sky. I don't want to pay RTE for duplicating this. Yet I'm legally obliged to. All the above listed programs (just a small sample) are foreign tv available more efficiently and cheaply else where.

RTE should exist only to provide irish news, irish current affairs and irish sport.

There is indeed no need for them to broadcast that imported sh1te but I'd have nothing against them trying to make their own TV shows and documentaries once they don't blow too much money on it.

They're gone so fecking lazy now they have to import nearly everything. They won't even go through the trouble of making something like the Morbegs or the Den anymore. Hardly high budget stuff but they won't bother - they're gone too grande for that kind of thing.

jack hackett

Cantona's Collars wrote: »

And he lives on porridge,the poor fella needs a pay rise.

with water not milk

I dunno, wheres Jenny? (exhale exhaustively)

biko

ZeroThreat wrote: »

About time, to many spongers in this country.

The problem when you change a fee into a tax is that
1 you assume everyone should be paying the fee but many don't even watch RTE or even TV. With a tax they are forced to pay for something they don't consume.
2 you can stop paying a fee but you can never stop paying a tax.
3 your favourite RTE star will now be paid by the government using your taxes. This may be ok with you, but it certainly is not ok with me.

ancapailldorcha

biko wrote: »

The problem when you change a fee into a tax is that
1 you assume everyone should be paying the fee but many don't even watch RTE or even TV. With a tax they are forced to pay for something they don't consume.
2 you can stop paying a fee but you can never stop paying a tax.
3 your favourite RTE star will now be paid by the government using your taxes. This may be ok with you, but it certainly is not ok with me.

I think the simplicity is worth it though. The house I am in at the moment doesn't have a TV Licence so I can't watch live TV or BBC iPlayer any more. While the obvious solution would be to pony up for a damn licence, my problem is that I change address very frequently so if I move into somewhere with a licence, I'll be hounded by the inspectors, something that I'd prefer to avoid having been subjected to a lifetime of RTE "TV Loicence Inshpectar!" propaganda.

end of the road

Permabear wrote: »

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i will defend and criticise what i like. if you don't like it, tough. and for what it's worth i have criticised route plenty of times over the years.

Permabear wrote: »

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a proper pop music station with a wide playlist, which introduces people to new music and new genres of music, will never be ran commercially. the pop music stations that are ran commercially are heavily formatted and repetitive. granted 2fm is similar, but it has a chance not to be. listen to bbc radio 1 or 2 as a good example of popular music radio done right with some non-commercially viable genres of music thrown in . then listen to some of the commercial stations both here and in the uk for example. the bbc is in a whole different league. 2fm needs serious reform but there is a place for it if it takes a leaf out of the BBC'S book.

Permabear wrote: »

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i won't be as it clearly isn't. in fact, i stated in one of my posts that rte 2 television would likely be no loss.

Permabear wrote: »

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in the real world, 2fm is a necessary radio station which at the moment competes with other pop music stations, which aren't anything to shout about themselves. however it can be so much more, but it's going to take some will on the part of rte to change it.
to privatize it would not be viable and is no solution, as it would lead to dominance of the national market by the private sector, which cannot be allowed. there are already 2 national private radio stations, which is enough to meet the demand for private national radio stations. both of those national radio stations are ran by 1 company. 2fm has no unfair advantage over the others.

ancapailldorcha

end of the road wrote: »

a proper pop music station with a wide playlist, which introduces people to new music and new genres of music, will never be ran commercially. the pop music stations that are ran commercially are heavily formatted and repetitive. granted 2fm is similar, but it has a chance not to be. listen to bbc radio 1 or 2 as a good example of popular music radio done right with some non-commercially viable genres of music thrown in . then listen to some of the commercial stations both here and in the uk for example. the bbc is in a whole different league. 2fm needs serious reform but there is a place for it if it takes a leaf out of the BBC'S book.

You genuinely believe this? You know that things like Spotify exist right which do this in a much more personalised way, right?

end of the road wrote: »

in the real world, 2fm is a necessary radio station which at the moment competes with other pop music stations, which aren't anything to shout about themselves. however it can be so much more, but it's going to take some will on the part of rte to change it.
to privatize it would not be viable and is no solution, as it would lead to dominance of the national market by the private sector, which cannot be allowed. there are already 2 national private radio stations, which is enough to meet the demand for private national radio stations. both of those national radio stations are ran by 1 company. 2fm has no unfair advantage over the others.

RTE evolve? C'mon, what are the chances of this happening exactly? Zero would be my guess. 2FM isn't remotely necessary. RTE News & Weather, probably. 2FM is just superfluous.

What sort of horrors would a completely private pop music industry wreak on the poor Irish public exactly?

end of the road

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

You genuinely believe this? You know that things like Spotify exist right which do this in a much more personalised way, right?



RTE evolve? C'mon, what are the chances of this happening exactly? Zero would be my guess. 2FM isn't remotely necessary. RTE News & Weather, probably. 2FM is just superfluous.

What sort of horrors would a completely private pop music industry wreak on the poor Irish public exactly?

there are already enough private pop music stations for the demand for private pop music stations. just because 2fm is currently more of the same it does not mean it has to remain that way, but it is going to have to move toards a more non-commercially viable format if it is going to be distinct and have a good chance of fulfiling a public service. lets look at bbc radios 1 and 2. both stations which do pop music but have minority programing and minority genres of music which you will not get on commercial privately run radio stations because it's not commercially viable.
as to an answer to the question, a fully private radio market would be the same as having a state only radio market. it would not be in the public interest as dominance of 1 sector where both can exist will eventually lead to only the lowest common denominator being targeted at the expence of everyone else.

ancapailldorcha

end of the road wrote: »

there are already enough private pop music stations for the demand for private pop music stations. just because 2fm is currently more of the same it does not mean it has to remain that way, but it is going to have to move toards a more non-commercially viable format if it is going to be distinct and have a good chance of fulfiling a public service. lets look at bbc radios 1 and 2. both stations which do pop music but have minority programing and minority genres of music which you will not get on commercial privately run radio stations because it's not commercially viable.
as to an answer to the question, a fully private radio market would be the same as having a state only radio market. it would not be in the public interest as dominance of 1 sector where both can exist will eventually lead to only the lowest common denominator being targeted at the expence of everyone else.

2FM is not Radio 1 or Radio 2. It is muck and, by your own definition superfluous in an already saturated market. Bin it and invest the savings in original content or reducing the licence fee.

end of the road

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

2FM is not Radio 1 or Radio 2. It is muck and, by your own definition superfluous in an already saturated market. Bin it and invest the savings in original content or reducing the licence fee.

or move it's format toards more minority genres, along with removing the imported programing from tv and investing in home grown programing across tv.
simply binning rte's radio stations rather then using them to target minority programing is not in the public interest.

ancapailldorcha

end of the road wrote: »

or move it's format toards more minority genres, along with removing the imported programing from tv and investing in home grown programing across tv.
simply binning rte's radio stations rather then using them to target minority programing is not in the public interest.

Yes it is because if they haven't evolved in the age of Twitter, Youtube and Facebook then they're not going to.

farmerwifelet

Maybe RTE should go back to having network 2 only starting at 6 in the evening.

c_man

It's really shocking when you consider the huge English speaking market on our doorstep, that RTE has managed to produce f-all which could be sold to them.

DEFTLEFTHAND

farmerwifelet wrote: »

Maybe RTE should go back to having network 2 only starting at 6 in the evening.

Regression is never the answer.

Why don't they go back using typewriters in the newsroom when they're at it.

ancapailldorcha

c_man wrote: »

It's really shocking when you consider the huge English speaking market on our doorstep, that RTE has managed to produce f-all which could be sold to them.

A genuinely sobering thought when you consider the huge amount of Irish here.

c_man

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

A genuinely sobering thought when you consider the huge amount of Irish here.

The only one that came to mind was Mrs Brown's Boys. But reading on wiki, it seems BBC were on it first and then RTE came in.

Anybody able to think of an RTE show that's been a hit in the UK...? I honestly can't.

DEFTLEFTHAND

c_man wrote: »

It's really shocking when you consider the huge English speaking market on our doorstep, that RTE has managed to produce f-all which could be sold to them.

Fair City is doing well in Scotland.

I'm being serious btw.

ancapailldorcha

c_man wrote: »

The only one that came to mind was Mrs Brown's Boys. But reading on wiki, it seems BBC were on it first and then RTE came in.

Anybody able to think of an RTE show that's been a hit in the UK...? I honestly can't.

Depends on your definition of "hit". Love\Hate was aired on Channel 5 but don't think it took on. Think I've seen Vets on Call somewhere here as well. That'd be it IMO. Mind you, Ambrose Gordon made a killing selling videotaped copies of The Sunday Game to Irish expats back in the day (Link).

DEFTLEFTHAND

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

Depends on your definition of "hit". Love\Hate was aired on Channel 5 but don't think it took on. Think I've seen Vets on Call somewhere here as well. That'd be it IMO.

I presume Love/Hate ran into the same trouble as it did when US networks took a look at it.

The accents. Foreigners can't make out what they're saying.

Jesus even I struggled with it at times.