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

Pa ElGrande · 02-08-2019 01:35PM

Sleeper12 wrote: »

I wonder will this be the death nail for TV or device licence /fee?

Forcing people to pay for a service they don't use is a difficult task. I wonder will it annoy people enough for it to become the water meter protest.

People do use the service and if you open up a subscription model the service can be accessed by the Irish diaspora and beyond. What not give Irish people the option to keep in touch with the motherland?

BarryD2 · 02-08-2019 01:36PM

Still, first RTE have to prove they can run their ship properly and slash the contracts/ staff agreements that grossly over reward their supposed top presenters. If the likes of Tubridy, Finuncane, Duffy or Darcy don't like it, them show them the door.

Loafing Oaf · 02-08-2019 01:38PM

Sleeper12 wrote: »

I wonder will this be the death nail for TV or device licence /fee?

Forcing people to pay for a service they don't use is a difficult task. I wonder will it annoy people enough for it to become the water meter protest.

As I said earlier, I struggle to see why this should be a game changer. If the current licence fee system hasn't generated those sort of protests, I don't expect the new one will.

y0ssar1an22 · 02-08-2019 01:39PM

Bennett Zealous Mocha wrote: »

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.

dont forgot prob ~52% tax on the money you used to buy those things.

02-08-2019 01:41PM

BarryD2 wrote: »

Still, first RTE have to prove they can run their ship properly and slash the contracts/ staff agreements that grossly over reward their supposed top presenters. If the likes of Tubridy, Finuncane, Duffy or Darcy don't like it, them show them the door.

Well they would be snapped up by other broadcasters if they weren't paid that much

02-08-2019 01:41PM

Lol

BarryD2 · 02-08-2019 01:47PM

Deleted User wrote: »

Well they would be snapped up by other broadcasters if they weren't paid that much

Exactly, slash their wages/ fees and let them make a choice: Stay on these terms or off you go to whatever obscure station you want.

quokula · 02-08-2019 01:49PM

A public service broadcaster is an important facility - look what happens somewhere like the US where the media is entirely profit driven and you end up with the likes of Fox News driving the country off a cliff.

And I'm sure you can argue here and there that there are many ways for RTE to cut costs, but they're not outside international industry standards and some of their highest paid talent get there because they bring in ad revenue and effectively pay for themselves.

So I'm all for finding ways to cut down on licence fee evasion, but I don't get the proposed system. Why have a private company come in to skim profits off the top. And why have some convoluted system for "devices" when pretty much 100% of the population have one, why not just add it to income tax or property tax or whatever. I don't understand why it needs to be funded in a different way to education, healthcare, policing or whatever.

Pa ElGrande · 02-08-2019 01:54PM

Loafing Oaf wrote: »

How long would you be waiting for the private sector to set up something like Lyric FM?

There is no need for RTE to provide Lyric FM when Classic FM exists that provides the same content.

Boggles · 02-08-2019 01:57PM

Pa ElGrande wrote: »

There is no need for RTE to provide Lyric FM when Classic FM exists that provides the same content.

A British Radio station?

A bizarre reason not to do something in Ireland.

Kewreeuss · 02-08-2019 01:58PM

Pick a government, any Irish government, they'll all want this tax. Doesn't make any difference who's in. The genie is out of the bottle.
I've been paying it so long, I don't notice it.
I don't watch RTE telly, honestly.
Up to about 5 years ago I used watch the news in the evening, then I got it down to just the weather forecast, and now even that is gone and I look out the window or Met Eireann.
I am happy enough to pay 160 for Lyric in the evening, and as with all my taxes a portion of our society will benefit and sometimes drive time on the way home form work.
However, I don't agree with the collection being outsourced. it should stay with the post office where it provides a bit of income.
Like most other outsourcings, they seem to go to non Irish companies and the profit goes out of the country. And you can be sure we'll foot the bill for 'administration charges' that will regularly push up the cost.
I like the idea mentioned somewhere of signing up and paying for content. So whoever wants it can pay for it but I can't see RTE surviving on that model.

celtic_oz · 02-08-2019 02:04PM

1. Ryan Tubridy: €495,000

2. Ray D’Arcy: €450,000

3. Joe Duffy: €389,988

4. Sean O’Rourke: €308,964

5. Marian Finucane: €300,617

6. Miriam O’Callaghan: €299,000

7. Claire Byrne: €216,000

8. Bryan Dobson: €198,146

9. George Hamilton: €186,195

10. Mary Wilson: 185,679

celtic_oz · 02-08-2019 02:09PM

RTE's Director General got a financial package worth almost €340,000 last year. The State broadcaster's annual report shows the amount paid to Dee Forbes included a basic salary of a quarter of a million, a car allowance worth €25,000 along with pension contributions worth €63,000

Sardonicat · 02-08-2019 02:09PM

Charles Babbage wrote: »

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

Blx. Not everyone owns property for a start. And more importantly, why should I pay for a service in don't use. I don't watch RTE. I don't listen to RTE. I won't pay anything towards RTE. Will happily take a day trip to the Dochas centre for non payment if I have to.

lola85 · 02-08-2019 02:11PM

celtic_oz wrote: »

1. Ryan Tubridy: €495,000

2. Ray D’Arcy: €450,000

3. Joe Duffy: €389,988

4. Sean O’Rourke: €308,964

5. Marian Finucane: €300,617

6. Miriam O’Callaghan: €299,000

7. Claire Byrne: €216,000

8. Bryan Dobson: €198,146

9. George Hamilton: €186,195

10. Mary Wilson: 185,679

Miriam o Callaghan.

Jesus that would bring tears to a glass eye.

expectationlost · 02-08-2019 02:13PM

Pa ElGrande wrote: »

Government sponsored enterprises such as RTE are an expense not bound by the quality of their output or customer satisfaction targets and they will continue to sap the taxpayer for whatever money that can take and they will always be back with rattling their iron rice bowl, in addition they are distorting the market by undercutting commercial competition and draining money from local economies across the Republic. Their current funding and operational model is broken and giving them more tax is just continuing that model.

By putting them on a subscription model, the consumers that like RTE will pay for their service and if they want to create more income for themselves they can either produce or commission new content and consumers will pay. The only feedback mechanism RTE have at the moment are from the commercial advertisers who can link their own product sales to that of RTE.

For those who say that this ignores the cultural stuff, those organisations who wish to promote their culture can sponsor the content themselves and it can be distributed under the basic subscription package.

the above is not a reply to what I said

Boggles · 02-08-2019 02:13PM

celtic_oz wrote: »

RTE's Director General got a financial package worth almost €340,000 last year. The State broadcaster's annual report shows the amount paid to Dee Forbes included a basic salary of a quarter of a million, a car allowance worth €25,000 along with pension contributions worth €63,000

Meh.

Who cares what salary she gets.

She came with a certain pedigree, is she justifying the salary is the question?

Pa ElGrande · 02-08-2019 02:13PM

quokula wrote: »

A public service broadcaster is an important facility - look what happens somewhere like the US where the media is entirely profit driven and you end up with the likes of Fox News driving the country off a cliff.

And I'm sure you can argue here and there that there are many ways for RTE to cut costs, but they're not outside international industry standards and some of their highest paid talent get there because they bring in ad revenue and effectively pay for themselves.

So I'm all for finding ways to cut down on licence fee evasion, but I don't get the proposed system. Why have a private company come in to skim profits off the top. And why have some convoluted system for "devices" when pretty much 100% of the population have one, why not just add it to income tax or property tax or whatever. I don't understand why it needs to be funded in a different way to education, healthcare, policing or whatever.

RTE is a government sponsored enterprise that provides multimedia content. If it stops broadcasting its content today nobody will die and the world will move on. A tax payer subsidised multimedia company is not necessary for the functioning of a democratic state and the it's service can be provided commercially. It needs to reform its business model and be removed from the purview of the government and taxpayer. As it is it is just another instrument of government.

In private, Lemass's views were more robust. Among civil servants and government colleagues he made no secret of his unhappiness with the independent voice with which the new station was speaking. He told colleagues that the RTE Authority's notion of its independence "was being pushed to an intolerable extent".

It was invariably a perceived lack of balance in programmes dealing with the economy which irritated Lemass most. And like many of his contemporaries, he was especially sensitive on the subject of emigration. In January 1963, he complained about one such programme, describing it as "thoroughly bad and depressing". It represented "exactly the approach to serious national problems that Telefis Eireann should not adopt". The station, he wrote, should "take the whine out of (its) voice".

source

_blaaz · 02-08-2019 02:14PM

celtic_oz wrote: »

1. Ryan Tubridy: €495,000

2. Ray D’Arcy: €450,000

3. Joe Duffy: €389,988

4. Sean O’Rourke: €308,964

5. Marian Finucane: €300,617

6. Miriam O’Callaghan: €299,000

7. Claire Byrne: €216,000

8. Bryan Dobson: €198,146

9. George Hamilton: €186,195

10. Mary Wilson: 185,679

All at lower corporate tax rate...hence the near blind devotion to keeping irelands corp tax low from rte

Remember that this evening when you look at payslip...your paying high tax and tv fees to keep them in wages which most heads of state worldwide dont earn

markodaly · 02-08-2019 02:23PM

I think its fair to say that we should have publicly funded content.

Things like Nationwide, Ear to the Ground, Would you believe, The Sunday Game, Prime Time, and the News of course, along with a few more programs.
However, that is where the remit of RTE should end imo.

Light-hearted chat shows can go **** off, unless its something like the Late Late of old which actually served the public interest.

The programs I mentioned should be funded out of general taxation. We pay 23% VAT on every device already, which is millions of euro. If the state want to produce homegrown content like dramas, films and the like, then it should fund the content providers not RTE.

We have it arseways in this country. RTE should be funded out of general taxation and we should pay for water. Instead, we do it the other way around.

Although I do find it funny that everyone all of a sudden is a neo-liberal free marketer when they are being charged a tax on something they will not use. Sucks doesn't it!

Uriel. · 02-08-2019 02:23PM

Have always paid my TV licence. I don't have an issue with paying a public service type fee for various services not covered under general taxation. Rarely watch RTE or listen to it, but I do think an independent public service news and media platform is absolutely essential. I also think certain things of national importance should be free to air insofar as possible,including major sporting events. I also accept that public interest programming doesn't mean I will have a personal interest in everything scheduled for broadcast but I think a lot of people forget that.

I do have an issue with the constant and continued outsourcing of services to the private sector. I have no issues with private sector involvement in public service delivery, as sometimes it can provide a better and/or more efficient and cost effective service. However, I can't see how that could be the case in this instance. We already have an excellent collection agent with structures and infrastructures that could do this job (Revenue Commissioners).

I'm generally a jump between FF and FG when it comes to politics, and I don't see that changing in the near future, but the breadth and vigour of FG's privatisation agenda is far beyond what I think is reasonable and far beyond what I think is in the public interest with a real danger of monopolies building up with regard to essential public services.

I also think as a public sector organisation/semi state etc thst Rte should have salary caps. If they can't keep Ryan Tubridy (as an example) for €300,000 per annum then let him off. I'm sure there will be someone to replace him.

Pa ElGrande · 02-08-2019 02:26PM

Boggles wrote: »

A British Radio station?

A bizarre reason not to do something in Ireland.

Why not? Classical music is not part of mainstream Irish culture and never has been, nor is it likely to be, so it is bizarre that RTE would expend their limited resources promoting a foreign culture that could alternately be broadcast for a commercial fee from another provider (classic FM) via 2RNs transmission network. The only distinction being the presenter would have a non-Irish accent because the musical content is the same.

markodaly · 02-08-2019 02:26PM

The salaries the top RTE guys get is a disgrace. Marrian Finucance has been getting the guts of half a million a year, for 4 hours of radio a week. Ray D'arcy..... **** off

I wonder if the likes of Virgin Media can take a case to the EU for state aid and competition rules here?

splinter65 · 02-08-2019 02:27PM

celtic_oz wrote: »

1. Ryan Tubridy: €495,000

2. Ray D’Arcy: €450,000

3. Joe Duffy: €389,988

4. Sean O’Rourke: €308,964

5. Marian Finucane: €300,617

6. Miriam O’Callaghan: €299,000

7. Claire Byrne: €216,000

8. Bryan Dobson: €198,146

9. George Hamilton: €186,195

10. Mary Wilson: 185,679

Thanks for that. Is there a total? I’d tot it up but I’m on my phone parked up waiting for my mother.

_blaaz · 02-08-2019 02:29PM

Pa ElGrande wrote: »

Why not? Classical music is not part of mainstream Irish culture and never has been, nor is it likely to be, so it is bizarre that RTE would expend their limited resources promoting a foreign culture that could alternately be broadcast for a commercial fee from another provider (classic FM) via 2RNs transmission network. The only distinction being the presenter would have a non-Irish accent because the musical content is the same.

If we sacked tubs....it would prob pay to run an extra classical music station for a year?

The only reason rte content is sh1t is they are paying emselves too much....theres more than enough money going into it to make a proper service

Emmersonn · 02-08-2019 02:32PM

biko wrote: »

In Sweden the TV licence was replace by a "public service fee".

USC sounds familiar.

facehugger99 · 02-08-2019 02:32PM

celtic_oz wrote: »

1. Ryan Tubridy: €495,000

2. Ray D’Arcy: €450,000

3. Joe Duffy: €389,988

4. Sean O’Rourke: €308,964

5. Marian Finucane: €300,617

6. Miriam O’Callaghan: €299,000

7. Claire Byrne: €216,000

8. Bryan Dobson: €198,146

9. George Hamilton: €186,195

10. Mary Wilson: 185,679

They always say that being the 11th highest earner in RTE must be one of the best jobs in the country.

Boggles · 02-08-2019 02:34PM

Pa ElGrande wrote: »

Why not? Classical music is not part of mainstream Irish culture and never has been, nor is it likely to be, so it is bizarre that RTE would expend their limited resources promoting a foreign culture that could alternately be broadcast for a commercial fee from another provider (classic FM) via 2RNs transmission network. The only distinction being the presenter would have a non-Irish accent because the musical content is the same.

What "foreign culture" is classical music?

markodaly · 02-08-2019 02:36PM

Why are we talking about Classical Music here? There are about 1001 ways to listen to Classical music without even owning a radio. Youtube has tens of thousands of hours worth of free content, as does Spotify just to name two examples. Both of which is legal.

sydthebeat · 02-08-2019 02:43PM

markodaly wrote: »

Why are we talking about Classical Music here? There are about 1001 ways to listen to Classical music without even owning a radio. Youtube has tens of thousands of hours worth of free content, as does Spotify just to name two examples. Both of which is legal.

becuase part of the licence fee goes towards paying for the RTE concert orchestra......................

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

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