Deleted User wrote: » 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.
Sephiroth_dude wrote: » Why can't rte go too Subscription model? and let anyone who wants too pay for tubby's salary off with them then.
Permabear wrote: » This post had been deleted.
McGaggs wrote: » I remember reading a news report on a study that showed watching depressing soaps like EastEnders shortened your life expectancy. One would assume they also have poor health and are an additional cost for the HSE. Good work RTÉ, using the licence fee to overcrowd out hospitals.
jacksie66 wrote: » A joke. So I already paid tax to the government when I bought my laptop, phone or tablet. I pay tax on the electricity I use to charge it. I pay tax on my Internet so that I can watch content. And now they want an extra 160 to pay for a TV network I never watch and to pay some worthless TV presenters salary. They can rightly shag off..
guile4582 wrote: » so should we get all our news from Liberty Global or Murdoch's empire instead? Let's privatise everything so? because that has no pitfalls
Billy86 wrote: » I think news should be a function of RTE, but there are thousands and thousands of different sources of news that you can access almost instantly, to be fair.
guile4582 wrote: » do you trust all of them? will thejournal.ie ; TV3 ; Sky News pay for extensive coverage and cover the cost of cultural events like 1916 Celebrations, do the above also have or have an interest in having offices and staff all around the country to cover all these events? Given the the small commercial market that is here, and given the drop in advertising due to market uncertainty? do they liase with schools and launch iniatives and projects with them concerning culture and the arts? would they bother if there was no RTE? RTE is more than Tubs and overpaid celebrities too. a national broadcaster, especially when it comes to news and current affairs in the current climate is of immense importance, not to mention in a country where broadband is still not available to many, and Virgin and Sky have no interest in rolling out infastructure due to lack of profits available, RTE is a lifeline to many people via radio and TV. should we just further isolate rural communities? if you agree RTE should broadcast news - do you believe a license fee therefore is justified?
Billy86 wrote: » A licence fee is justified as far as they can justify it - €160 is not justified at that rate. €320 could would be justified if they were providing more effort on the front of Irish productions, better news analysis etc rather than spending it on countless foreign TV shows. It's not the licence that I would have a big gripe it, it's how they use it.
guile4582 wrote: » RTE is using the license fee to merely survive and maintain what original output it has due to governement slashing how much they give the station and because of license evasion. that is a fact. news analysis etc. that is huge studio costs and manpower costs. the money simply isnt there those foreign tv shows you speak of are not costing huge amounts of money. a lot of the BBC syndicate shows are given to RTE at a huge discount and include free airings
Billy86 wrote: » €24mn
guile4582 wrote: » ....in order to survive! but yeah maybe now we have more choice (because once upon a time we didnt! and it wasnt that long ago, and i point out again in certain areas of the country a lot still dont have a choice). so RTE chould relinquish all entertainment programmes and just stick with news/current affairs and sport but i am sure the Irish public will have an issue paying for that too. Oireachtas TV is now also available as a channel - so you can get your fill there too