TV licence soon required for PCs, laptops, and tablets?

OU812 wrote: »

And by using the electricity bill to collect, they'll eliminate the cheaters as they'll have no way (almost) of charging a device without consuming electricity.

They'd immediately have almost 100% compliance, which should in turn allow them to lower the charge to €120 a year (€10 a month) without impacting the take - like that would EVER happen!!

Yes but if you do that doesn't it become an electricity levy rather than TV licence? (i.e. not really the same thing any-more as someone who genuinely doesn't have any device capable of displaying TV broadcast would have to pay)

Also if the point is to make sure everyone household pays it no matter what, what not simply asking Revenue to take care of collecting it rather than getting all electricity providers involved (Revenue already has collection capabilities as well as a database of all premises in the county which they built-up to administer the LTP).

This has been attempted numerous times before, and then there is such viscous backlash that it gets "kicked into touch".

I pay my TV license as I'm somewhat "whatever" about it and I don't want the hassle for €160. Should the new measure be €160 covering all devices, then no major problem since I already pay my license. I don't like it nor agree with it, as I don't avail of any RTE services, I just don't want the hassle really of being chased for it.

And I'm sure we have the same old conversations about RTE being a waste and what have you, which it is, but that is not really something the government would entertain. They will keep taxing us to prop up that broadcaster so as not to have to deal with the job losses that would happen if it was a private entity, which it would have gone under years ago.

As for the political effects, the Minister is an independent so I cannot impact him directly as he's not from my constituency. But should he align himself with a party, or if his ties are still strong to FG, I'll be sure to remember this as a personal issue come elections. Did the same with that fool Sherlock from Labor with his whole debacle a few years ago that whilst the impacts were very much blown out of proportion by many opposing it, the TD's blatant disregard for the subject matter and just wanting to get his name on a bill, ensured I excluded Labor from consideration and my influence reached to a few others.

That's the only time it matters and when you can actually influence these things. It's just another case of an old organisation unable to react and adapt to the changes in technology, and wanting to ensure margins and remain and the gravy train continues, as opposed to adapting

The mere fact Rte get state funding while running advertisements and product placements is just laughable anyway, as if the TV license wasn't already a massive two fingers to the tax payer.

TheQuietFella wrote: »

How can they prove what size of your screen. Many people have multiple
devices in their homes and if a knock came to your door you could just
show them the smallest device!

Currently you can already not let them in and/or avoid showing them your TV and there is not much they can do about it. So from there perspective there is not much of a change.

Do they not realise you can cast or hook up your less than 11 inch tablet to a monitor and stream away to your heart's content. Shower of gob****es, pity they wouldn't spend their time dealing with the real issues affecting the country instead of trying to fleece us taxpayers even more.

Why are we forced to pay for this stupid service.

If they think it's such a great service make the a paid subscription service and see how many people sign up.

I can't remember the last time I watched and listened to an RTE service. Just shut the place down.. there TV shows are sh!t.

Its a joke. RTE should be made stand on its own feet.

Why are we forced to pay for RTE, its just not right.

They should be able to make enough money through advertisements to run itself.

how do they prove it?