TV licence collection privatised and replaced with device licence fee in 5 years

GarIT · 02-08-2019 06:46AM #1

https://www.rte.ie/news/2019/0802/1066568-rte-tv-licence-fee-reform/

The collection of the TV licence fee will be given to the lowest bidder via a public tendering process tendering process. So some private company is going to be noseying around our homes looking in our windows for a TV etc. Then after 5 years the TV licence fee will be replaced with a device licence fee to make sure everyone pays whether they consume RTE content or not.

I didn't think this government would do it, they kicked the can down the road since the early 2010's. I'm disgusted, I'd happily pay for an independent news/investigations media company with some home made content but not the bloat that is RTE.

Between this, the go-ahead/DB privatisation and the Maria Bailey case I will find it very hard to vote for FG within the next ten years.

dudara · 02-08-2019 06:48AM

Moved from AH > CA

Fizzlesque · 02-08-2019 06:59AM

"Broadcasters are facing major challenges as audiences are moving away from traditional platforms such as television."

Broadcasters, plural? Who will be the beneficiary of this new tax then? If RTE have lost their audience, surely they can't still expect to be the recipients of this newly-named tax. Or is that exactly what they want? Money for old rope even though many don't want their ropey old service?

I'm disgusted too, GarIT. I got rid of my TV years ago, long before I had Netflix, so to me this is just another pocket-picking exercise.

I never vote Fine Gael but I hope those that do have a change of heart next time round.

73bc61lyohr0mu · 02-08-2019 07:03AM

I have a PC that I built from scratch. I have a smartphone. I never watch RTE nor do I have any intention of. I've already paid tax on my pc parts when I built it, tax on my smartphone to buy, tax on my phone bill, tax on my Internet, tax on my electricity. I'll go to court before I pay the government a cent to pay for Ryan Tubridy and Ray Darcys salary.

Atlantic Dawn · 02-08-2019 07:12AM

Will you be exempt with just a Nokia 3310, asking for a friend.

gozunda · 02-08-2019 07:14AM

Tbh there is no eartly reason in this day and age that anyone should be obliged to pay for media they do not consume.

Considering the rubbish produced by our 'national' broadcaster and the current direction of their tabloid presentations - I reckon it's simply another excuse for another bloated tax take from the cent collectors.

FortuneChip · 02-08-2019 07:18AM

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Will you be exempt with just a Nokia 3310, asking for a friend.

Not if you use Snake. Their adopted Mascot.

malinheader · 02-08-2019 07:29AM

Joe,Miriam and co must be looking for another pay hike, or they might even want to start up another orchestra, God forbid.
But then again it is a great station for pushing the government line.

ILoveYourVibes · 02-08-2019 07:38AM

So basically a private company will be making money from the T.V license.

malinheader · 02-08-2019 07:41AM

ILoveYourVibes wrote: »

So basically a private company will be making money from the T.V license.

I would nearly put money on it being a friend of a friend in dail eireann who owns the company.

ILoveYourVibes · 02-08-2019 07:51AM

malinheader wrote: »

I would nearly put money on it being a friend of a friend in dail eireann who owns the company.

Or a friend in RTE or someone in RTE who owns the company.

Charles Babbage · 02-08-2019 07:55AM

This is blx.They should simply add the licence fee to the property tax, collection costs zero.

whisky_galore · 02-08-2019 08:01AM

What can they do in the event of non payment? Cut you off?

Could be like Irish Water all over again.

Inviere · 02-08-2019 08:08AM

GarIT wrote: »

Then after 5 years the TV licence fee will be replaced with a device licence fee to make sure everyone pays whether they consume RTE content or not.

So keep things relatively kosher through the next election and not upset the masses (minimise electoral damage), then take the pain early on if they're re-elected by introducing the new fee, and it'll all be forgotten about by the following election a few years later.

Someone above coined it perfectly, we're being forced to pay for media that we don't consume.

_Kaiser_ · 02-08-2019 08:10AM

Ah FG. The party of taxation and privatisation, but nothing else except never-ending waste and scandals.

They are obviously not expecting to be reelected next time out if they're pushing this through at this stage.

I pay the license but I don't watch RTE at all. I couldn't even if I wanted to as I don't have the necessary external aerial for Saorview (internal doesn't work in my area). I do have freesat and everything else comes from the likes of Netflix, Amazon and the US.

Why should I have to pay for services I can't even access?

twinytwo · 02-08-2019 08:18AM

Charles Babbage wrote: »

This is blx.They should simply add the licence fee to the property tax, collection costs zero.

Even better idea.. RTE should have to stand on its own two feet like everyone else.

corsav6 · 02-08-2019 08:19AM

Charles Babbage wrote: »

This is blx.They should simply add the licence fee to the property tax, collection costs zero.

Add it to a tax that we shouldn't have to pay in the first place? Nah, their taking more than enough and giving absolutely nothing back to us. Property tax is just plain wrong, it's hard enough to get by in this country but to tax a person's home is just wrong.

CPTM · 02-08-2019 08:19AM

I don't really understand this. Would it not be more economical (And politically advantageous) to just scrap the tv license and factor it into the income tax instead. So for example, instead of dropping income tax by 2%, cut it by 1.5%. That way people will see tax reductions and also no tv license. Unfair for the handful of people who don't have a device I suppose but why have a whole system just for them?

Inviere · 02-08-2019 08:27AM

CPTM wrote: »

I don't really understand this. Would it not be more economical (And politically advantageous) to just scrap the tv license and factor it into the income tax instead. So for example, instead of dropping income tax by 2%, cut it by 1.5%. That way people will see tax reductions and also no tv license. Unfair for the handful of people who don't have a device I suppose but why have a whole system just for them?

But then when the inevitable license fee increases come along, people would see that as income tax increases, and it might not be as politically advantageous.

drunkmonkey · 02-08-2019 08:27AM

We shouldn't have to pay to be advertised to. I get it with the UK and the BBC having no advertising but not here. Make RTE advertising free and independent then I wouldn't question paying.
Charge Netflix, Amazon, Sky not the consumers being programmed.

Kivaro · 02-08-2019 08:29AM

Let's not kid ourselves here; this is just another household tax that Fine Gael is imposing on us.

Fine Gael have nothing but contempt for the Irish people. They have shown time and time again that vested interests is their primary concern. We should seek our revenge at the next general election; otherwise we deserve all the new "progressive" taxes that they will impose on us if they get reelected.

whippet · 02-08-2019 08:31AM

This should be a fun debate .. listening to Brid Smith on newstalk earlier ... no broadcasting charge .. google and Facebook should be levied as they are making the money from people watching RTE online !!! I kid you not ... she will be the one banging the drum about this and hasn’t even a clue what google does

I’d also love to know how many people watched the recent RTE Investigates programmes and saw what they uncovered and then would whinge about paying s public service broadcast charge

Grumpypants · 02-08-2019 08:34AM

What they should do is add a tax to all the bills for tv, mobile and broadband services provided regardless of who provides it. Sky, Vodafone, eir etc. That way you capture everyone and then use that money to fund psb.

For example I pay 100 a month for 2 mobiles, tv and broadband with vodafone. That's 1200 a year.

Lets say they charged 23%. Then that's €275 nearly double the TV license amount.

Hold on a second !! That tax sounds familiar .....

whisky_galore · 02-08-2019 08:36AM

whippet wrote: »

This should be a fun debate .. listening to Brid Smith on newstalk earlier ... no broadcasting charge .. google and Facebook should be levied as they are making the money from people watching RTE online !!! I kid you not ... she will be the one banging the drum about this and hasn’t even a clue what google does

I’d also love to know how many people watched the recent RTE Investigates programmes and saw what they uncovered and then would whinge about paying s public service broadcast charge

I'm not disputing that the Investigates programmes aren't worthy, but why all the dross, dead weight and repeats in the other 99.9 percent of the schedule?

biko · 02-08-2019 08:38AM

In Sweden the TV licence was replace by a "public service fee".
So even if you never watch TV or any of that, your tax still pay towards the salaries of people that you never intended to reward.

It's opposite of fair and free market.

vicwatson · 02-08-2019 08:38AM

If they really want it give it to revenue to collect just like property tax, I imagine the PT has an enormous compliance rate

vicwatson · 02-08-2019 08:41AM

twinytwo wrote: »

Even better idea.. RTE should have to stand on its own two feet like everyone else.

They could start by slashing the huge salaries they pay

dhaughton99 · 02-08-2019 08:41AM

gozunda wrote: »

Tbh there is no eartly reason in this day and age that anyone should be obliged to pay for media they do not consume.

Considering the rubbish produced by our 'national' broadcaster and the current direction of their tabloid presentations - I reckon it's simply another excuse for another bloated tax take from the cent collectors.

Isn’t €160 reasonable for that 1 episode of ‘reelin in the years’ you might accidentally watch when flicking through?

The J Stands for Jay · 02-08-2019 08:43AM

People Who Don't Watch RTÉ To Be Charged For Watching RTÉ.

02-08-2019 08:43AM

This could be as popular as water charges.

Personally I think news and current affairs should be kept on RTE and founded by the tax payer. The rest should be either up for grabs by Virgin media or others or not publicly funded at all. RTE2 should be wound up.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fPGbNBgS3B0

NIMAN · 02-08-2019 08:43AM

whisky_galore wrote: »

I'm not disputing that the Investigates programmes aren't worthy, but why all the dross, dead weight and repeats in the other 99.9 percent of the schedule?

Its not only Rte this could be directed at.

Take a look at the BBC, ITV, Sky etc on freesat. There is loads of dross and repeats on there too. And 80% of programming on Netflix is rubbish too.

It's a worldwide issue, unfair to pick on Rte on their own.

When you have 24/7 TV to fill and hundreds of channels, most of its going to be cheap muck.

TV licence collection privatised and replaced with device licence fee in 5 years

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