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

TheRiverman wrote: »

So am I correct in thinking that in five years time there will be a double charge on mobile phones,laptops etc.A service provider charge from Vodafone,Three etc and a new charge for accessing media which will go to RTE ?.Screwed even more times ahead.

At the moment they are flying a trial balloon. It remains to be seen what the Working Group on the Future Funding of Public Service Broadcasting recommends for the new funding model. This report has not been published yet. The issue of how this will be collected has been floating around the department of communications like a grenade with the pin pulled for a few years now. Originally they wanted to add it to the household charge, but that got scrapped during the Irish water/tax protest. They were also mooting it would be levied on internet service providers at another stage. Most likely they are planning to incorporate it in local property tax or finagle it someway with paying for the the national broadband plan.

irishproduce wrote: »

There is a very specific reason that RTE is retained and backed by the state.
I refer to a post I made on another thread

And that (your linked post) is the very reason why all state funding should be cut off.
It's a self serving institute for the mouth piece of the government of the day and is that not illegal?

the_pen_turner wrote: »

yes but

one one hand you have someone going to jail for not payng an unjust and total rip off tax for a terrible service they might not even receive

on the other you have someone get let off scot free for being in osetion of an ilegal drug and posibly leading to future criminal activity and drug addiction.

the tv licence non payer should get a slap on the wrist and the drug using criminal should go to jail

And aint that the truth, drug overlord gets suspended sentence but licence fee evader gets thrown in jail

suicide_circus wrote: »

why not pay for RTE out of general taxation, like water?

RTE is a government sponsored enterprise which comes under the purview of the Department of Communications, Energy and Natural Resource which also covers An Post, Ervia (formerly Bord Gais), Bord na Móna, EirGrid, the ESB, RTE and TG4.

RTE is a non essential service i.e. if it is shuttered today there are alternatives and nobody save RTE employees, contractors and some incestuous companies will lose sleep over it. The transmission network (2RN) can be privatised and the orchestra can be hived off to the Department of Arts Heritage and the Gaeltacht.

Paying RTE out of general taxation (they already receive funding that way) is hiding the costs of providing that service and it ends up being another department of health in that no matter how much money you throw at it it is never enough. With the present system there is an opt out, if you don't have a TV or device capable of receiving free to air transmissions you do not have to pay this tax which is entirely fair to those who never consume their service.

They also compete in the broadcast market with other commercial services for market share, advertising revenue and sponsorship so paying them out of general taxation would amount to unfair competition (it already is since the annual TV tax is mandatory if you own a TV).

eagle eye wrote: »

I never watch any Irish tv station but I've always paid my tv license because it's the law. I agree with the sentiments of most here though.
As soon as this goes to a private company I'm not paying it anymore.

When you stop paying your licence you will receive a series of increasingly threatening letters from AN POST on behalf of RTE unless you sign a declaration that you no longer have a TV (Don't sign this, if you do and break the law they will use it against you and you will receive a heavier fine up to €1000). This will be followed by an inspection whether you sign the declaration or not. Are you are prepared to go to jail over €160? few are.


Woman who failed to pay TV licence fine taken to jail in five-hour taxi trip

The State spent thousands of euro sending five women to prison by taxi on the same day for non-payment of fines, and releasing them all hours later.

One woman, who was driven from east Donegal to Dublin, told the Irish Independent how two gardai arrived at her home at 7.10am and arrested her. She had paid €212 of a €450 court fine issued for not having a TV licence.

She said her 11-year-old son was crying as she was taken to her local garda station before being transferred to a taxi for the journey to Dublin.

As two gardaí were accompanying her, the taxi had to go via Sligo as they could not travel through the North.

source

If you wish to protest this you must contact the TDs in your constituency by letter you can deliver it to their constituency clinics if you want to discuss it directly. You should also be on the voter register lists as non voters opinions don't carry any weight with politicians.

Ministers should be advised that the technology exists so that RTE can offer a subscription service for devices that access it's services via the internet (smartphone, or laptop) and there is no need to extend taxation beyond it's current remit. By using subscription services RTE can also reduce the cost to its consumers by differentiating its services and since broadband will increasingly be available across the country (you can then kick them over the national broadband plan if you want) this resolves the problem for the future. The cost of collection is also reduced as the money can be directly collected by RTE without 3rd party involvement, RTE would also be free to increase their subscription in line with costs without political interference determining licence fees.


You can also if so inclined sign a petition to abolish the licence fee, however if successful this will not reduce your overheads unless RTE is ultimately privatised.

http://chng.it/5fhjbqxmrt


You can also use RTEs competition (newspapers, Radio and TV companies and online news sites to make your views known and promote alternatives since they also have a vested interest in gaining advertising revenue and generally view the licence as an anti-competitive subsidy to RTE.

Be polite and beware of drifting into rants about political bias, nepotism in RTE and payments to the "stars". If you are an RTE consumer then offer constructive criticism about the poor quality of much of the content and the repeats of repeats and that you are not willing to pay for sub-par content that you have better things to do with your time and money.