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

28-03-2017 02:30PM

Iceland, Estonia, Lithuania and Finland all have public broadcasters that receive funds from government grants and either don't require a TV licence or have recently abolished the requirement.

Iceland and Finland have implemented taxes to fund their services instead of enforcing a licence, in Finlands case it is based on income.

Portugal implemented a Broadcast Contribution tax that costs €33 a year.

These are all countries with similar populations to Ireland funding their state broadcasting in different ways that maybe the government here should be looking at.

I cant speak of the quality of their broadcasts but I'm begrudgingly paying for a service that I don't use and do not value as a result of court order threats. I wouldn't mind paying if it wasn't an extortionate amount and if the content produced was of high quality.

The fact that about 50% of licence fees collected goes to RTE who also then generate ad revenue yet it spends large sums of money either buying shows from other broadcasters it paying insane salaries to staff.

The licence is antiquated and if you break down the cost of implementation and where the funds go it's highly inefficient;
- about 50% to RTE
- TG4 receives support and programming from RTE which RTE then express this as a cost to their licence fee income
- An Post receive money for the collection of cost
- 7% goes to the Broadcasting Authority of Irelands sound and vision fund (which actually funds the production of some great material)

So this is a multi faceted problem. RTE providing sub standard services yet collecting the lions share of the licence fee and the way the licence is actually implemented and distributed.

RTE as subscription only is something I would strongly support.

ancapailldorcha · 28-03-2017 02:42PM

Billy86 wrote: »

Well Reeling in the Years is top, top class... but that's about it as far as I can recall (and it's one single half hour show a year) so definitely not disagreeing with you!!

My family were quite fond of Vets on Call. Not sure if that's still going. They managed to export that as well.

Billy86 · 28-03-2017 02:43PM

ancapailldorcha wrote: »

My family were quite fond of Vets on Call. Not sure if that's still going. They managed to export that as well.

Haven;t actually seen that one myself, but then again you could probably count the number of times in a year I stop on RTE while channel surfing with your fingers and toes!

Trond · 28-03-2017 02:43PM

Am I right in saying The Zoo and Love Hate would be RTE's two most successful exports to date? (financially that is)

topmanamillion · 28-03-2017 02:44PM

It will be extremely interesting to see the reaction of people when what is essentially a E160 tariff is placed on their mobile electronics.
I really don't think RTE knows what they are messing with here.
I for one cant wait for the sh1t storm they are stumbling into.

Permabear · 28-03-2017 02:45PM

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ancapailldorcha · 28-03-2017 02:47PM

Billy86 wrote: »

Haven;t actually seen that one myself, but then again you could probably count the number of times in a year I stop on RTE while channel surfing with your fingers and toes!

Seen it a few times. Seemed decent. I've tried watching RTÉ when I go home but the schedule is worse than dire.

Billy86 · 28-03-2017 02:52PM

Trond wrote: »

Am I right in saying The Zoo and Love Hate would be RTE's two most successful exports to date? (financially that is)

Pretty sure it's still The Lyrics Board (no, really!) and my guess would be Mrs. Brown's Boys (no... really) after that. Not sure of the specifics of the Love/Hate Netflix deal, though.

Grayson · 28-03-2017 02:54PM

Trond wrote: »

Am I right in saying The Zoo and Love Hate would be RTE's two most successful exports to date? (financially that is)

I heard, on boards, that love/hate wasn't created or produced by RTE.

Billy86 · 28-03-2017 03:03PM

Grayson wrote: »

I heard, on boards, that love/hate wasn't created or produced by RTE.

Octagon is the producer, but RTE is the distributor which is more important on the financial end, as per my understanding. Remember all those Miramax and films that popped up during the 90s? The Weinsteins did so well on that because they tended to get already-produced movies at a really low price, do a little re-editing etc to make it more marketable, and then act as the distribution. New Line were similar (hence the independent boom of the time - movies produced outside of the major studios which were more daring/interesting/adventurous) and distributed in such a way as to still reach global audiences.

And they each made a f*** tonne in doing so!

http://www.boxofficemojo.com/studio/chart/?studio=newline.htm
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/studio/chart/?studio=miramax.htm

Permabear · 28-03-2017 03:05PM

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Gavinz · 28-03-2017 03:12PM

murpho999 wrote: »

I still don't believe that so many people don't watch RTE ever.

For Irish news alone it is the best source with actual video reports and interviews.

I can say, hand on heart that I haven't watched it in many years.

hatrickpatrick · 28-03-2017 03:13PM

Míshásta wrote: »

I don't understand people who say they never view or listen to RTE programmes. How do they keep informed about news, current affairs, sports, investigative documentaries or entertainment/culture events, etc., relevant to this island.

RTE may have its faults but unless you want to live on a diet of Hollywood movies, Aussie soaps and Judge Judy, it's the best source. TV3 does provide some Irish content programmes but it's a very limited service.

Irish Times, Independent, Examiner for news and entertainment, Sky / Tg4 / TV3 for sports etc

I agree that it wouldn't be easy but it's perfectly possible to be well informed without RTE.

topmanamillion · 28-03-2017 03:15PM

Billy86 wrote: »

Pretty sure it's still The Lyrics Board (no, really!) and my guess would be Mrs. Brown's Boys (no... really) after that. Not sure of the specifics of the Love/Hate Netflix deal, though.

Mrs Browns boys wasn't created by RTE. Brendan O`Carroll had been toiling away for years releasing them straight to DVD before he convinced the BBC to a take a shot on it.
RTE might have some sort of credit on it but its entirely produced by the BBC in England and is recorded in Scotland.

28-03-2017 03:20PM

Permabear wrote: »

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There should be no need to fund radio. The fact that we have private sector radio is ample evidence that it should be capable of standing on its own feet.

Permabear · 28-03-2017 03:56PM

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28-03-2017 04:31PM

Whatever about 2fm, I see no reason for the existence of RTE Junior radio. How many kids listen to the radio?

Billy86 · 28-03-2017 04:36PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Whatever about 2fm, I see no reason for the existence of RTE Junior radio. How many kids listen to the radio?

Forget just kids, how many people under a certain age listen to the radio beyond possibly in the background at work? Podcasts all the way.

*I subscribed to one called The Dollop last week, can't recommend enough - one guy tells a well researched story of somethign that happened in history to another, both are extremely quick witted stand ups (but the depth of research, like in their Enron episode, is excellent). The episode 'Tylenol Man' is one of the most hilarious, ridiculous stories I've heard in a long long time - http://thedollop.net/wp/episode-220-dollop/

The J Stands for Jay · 28-03-2017 05:45PM

Billy86 wrote: »

Well Reeling in the Years is top, top class... but that's about it as far as I can recall (and it's one single half hour show a year) so definitely not disagreeing with you!!

I do enjoy a bit of reeling in the years when I'm in the in-laws'.

The J Stands for Jay · 28-03-2017 05:48PM

Trond wrote: »

Am I right in saying The Zoo and Love Hate would be RTE's two most successful exports to date? (financially that is)

I heard a rumour that rte managed to make a loss on Love Hate. No idea it it's true.

Never heard of the Zoo. What's it about (is it just a visit to Dublin Zoo without Bosco's magic door)?

The J Stands for Jay · 28-03-2017 05:53PM

Permabear wrote: »

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I definitely resent funding rte's orchestras.

I love Sean nos · 28-03-2017 05:56PM

McGaggs wrote: »

Never heard of the Zoo. What's it about (is it just a visit to Dublin Zoo without Bosco's magic door)?

It's the DG's idea. Each week a presenter no longer required gets stuck into the lion enclosure. Both entertains and saves on redundancy.

pilly · 28-03-2017 05:57PM

I love Sean nos wrote:

It's the DG's idea. Each week a presenter no longer required gets stuck into the lion enclosure. Both entertains and saves on redundancy.

I'd pay for that now!

The J Stands for Jay · 28-03-2017 05:58PM

I love Sean nos wrote: »

It's the DG's idea. Each week a presenter no longer required gets stuck into the lion enclosure. Both entertains and saves on redundancy.

I wonder if rte would be interested in my TV show concept: Celebrity Thunderdome. Two 'celeb's enter, one 'celeb's leaves. Contestants are plucked from the Montrose canteen to do battle to the death for a six figure salary.

Cienciano · 28-03-2017 06:00PM

Permabear wrote: »

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We have a fúcking orchestra tax. Unbelievable :mad:

The J Stands for Jay · 28-03-2017 06:02PM

Cienciano wrote: »

We have a fúcking orchestra tax. Unbelievable :mad:

I believe it's a two orchestra tax.

I'm with the Simpsons on this one: Let the orchestras pay the orchestra tax.

Plus, members of their orchestras also get extra tax credits to reduce their own PAYE bills.

I love Sean nos · 28-03-2017 06:33PM

McGaggs wrote: »

I definitely resent funding rte's orchestras.

It's a peculiar subsidy to the upwardly mobile all right. Strange that with there having been a recent recession and RTE not being able to balance the books, their orchestras, string quartets and choirs are still going.

How can cancer medications for children and benefits for the blind and disabled be cut, yet orchestras escape?

Ulysses Gaze · 28-03-2017 07:14PM

satguy · 28-03-2017 07:37PM

We have enough commercial radio stations here in Ireland. So RTE radio could be shut down, that will save a large slice of cash.
We have TV3 or whatever they are called now, they do makeup and fashion during the daytime and soaps later on, So RTE TV could be shut down, and another slice of cash saved.

We do need a good news channel, so we could just keep RTE News Channel, spend an extra bit and make it a good news channel.
Our Licence fee should be only €40 per year, and 10% of that fee should be donated to the BBC to help them stay FTA ..

So,, All sorted !!

And............. To the 100 people that watch TNG,,,,,,,,,, get a life !!

28-03-2017 09:00PM

Permabear wrote: »

This post had been deleted.

There are enough Irish langage fanatics around that they should be well able to fund their own radio station or provide a sufficient audience to attract advertising.
On Classic, there is nothing particularly Irish about it. We have ClassicFM, Radio3 and Lyric and there is little to choose between them, depending on the show.
Newstalk has shown that a private current affairs radio can survive, and thats in competition with RTE.
Taxpayer funding of RTE radios is unnecessary and market distorting.

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

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