Why do people boast about not watching RTÉ?

sbsquarepants wrote: »

Someone on newstalk the other day was making the point, that if you gave Dermot Desmond 190 million of a hand out each year and told him to run along and set up his own version of RTE there's not a snowballs chance that he'd loose money, yet RTE can never seem to avoid doing just that.

I don't think Newstalk are in a position to criticise; that station has hardly ever turned a profit in all it's years of existence.

They try to make out they're the radio station of business people, but that is only true if they mean "bankrolled by business people, who made their money elsewhere"

Bob24 wrote: »

Changing the collection method in itself wouldn’t help with unpaid fees as it wouldn’t solve the problem of identifying who is liable and not paying.

If you are suggesting to make every household liable no matter what, then it is not a discussion about collecting unpaid fees anymore, but one about extending liability it a new ground of people - very different.

the alternative of collecting via the Revenue was rejected, especially by the Revenue, because it would add a huge workload for a small return. The existing collection system is flawed because it involves the punter getting off their holes and going to pay it, so they won't if they can avoid it and the TV license inspectors system is a joke because they won't go into rough housing estates or apartment blocks to collect it, either, so the best way to collect it is as a part of the property tax, as it is done in France or Germany. You don't pay that in those countries and the Tax Police will come for you and they're not afraid of going into rough housing estates.

Stovepipe wrote: »

the alternative of collecting via the Revenue was rejected, especially by the Revenue, because it would add a huge workload for a small return. The existing collection system is flawed because it involves the punter getting off their holes and going to pay it, so they won't if they can avoid it and the TV license inspectors system is a joke because they won't go into rough housing estates or apartment blocks to collect it, either, so the best way to collect it is as a part of the property tax, as it is done in France or Germany. You don't pay that in those countries and the Tax Police will come for you and they're not afraid of going into rough housing estates.

More tax,how novel,just add it to another tax,problem solved.Personally,I don't like paying to be brainwashed with mindless rubbish,a lot of people apparently arent keen either,so we pay to keep rte going,even though we don't watch it,and the overpaid lackeys take a small pay cut.I wouldn't mind paying if for example the cleaning staff were to get a salary equivalent to say Joe Duffy,and he got a cleaning job wages,but unless I get the DGs job,that will never happen,so either way,we will he forced to pay to keep the gravy train rolling,welcome to Ireland folks.

Stovepipe wrote: »

the alternative of collecting via the Revenue was rejected, especially by the Revenue, because it would add a huge workload for a small return. The existing collection system is flawed because it involves the punter getting off their holes and going to pay it, so they won't if they can avoid it and the TV license inspectors system is a joke because they won't go into rough housing estates or apartment blocks to collect it, either, so the best way to collect it is as a part of the property tax, as it is done in France or Germany. You don't pay that in those countries and the Tax Police will come for you and they're not afraid of going into rough housing estates.

In France it is a separate charge (like here) which is collected each year by the equivalent of Revenue, and any taxpayer can tick a box on their yearly tax return to declare they don’t have a TV in which case the licence won’t be collected. So there also is a need to do inspections if frauds are to be detected (except it would be done by government employees rather than Post office ones, but I doubt they would be more brave in terms of going into a rough apartment block).

It is definitely neither bundled with nor connected with property tax (impôt foncier). You might confuse it with the fact that if someone is exempt from local housing tax (taxe d’habitation, a different tax which is on property occupancy rather than ownership and for which we don’t really have an equivalent) due to low income, it also triggers a TV licence exemption, and that both these taxes are collected at the same time.

We could do the same here but I don’t think it would solve any problem? (the main issue is not how you collect the licence but how you detect evasion and enforce the law, and I don’t think the French system would help with that)

sbsquarepants wrote: »

You haven't thought this through have you?:D:D:D

Lol..I got to the bit where my plan depended on me getting the DGs job,and realised that we were going to get shafted yet again .....blahde blahde blahhhhh

The programming has gotten worse as they have tried to capture a younger audience. The actually current affairs stuff I like, sports coverage isn't bad and the pundits are largely than the UK stations.
I don't like the "jobs for the boys" mentality across the platform either. Some of the pet presenters and actors are pure talentless constantly shoved down us. The attempts at home grown comedy and sitcoms are embarrassing.

I wouldn't like to see it gone, I have fond memories of watching the LLS with Gay Byrne, the football presented by Bill O Herlihy. I just find the current programming a cheap imitation of the UK channels.

There's only one or two hours of engaging current affairs per week. That's it.
I was flicking through a tv. guide a couple of days ago and for the laugh I counted the number of repeats ( R ) , on RTE 2 I think it was. I counted 17 throughout the day.
If they weren't paying nonsense presenters like Tubridy and D'Arcy half a mil each they might be able to afford something. Kenny was a big loss.
l

I would watch rte,but only under certain conditions.
The first one being : Gerry Ryan is cloned and brought back to life in all his irreverant glory,take his rightful place on the late late,Ryan tubridy is retired and compelled to either spend a life of austerity as a Buddhist monk,or submit himself to God and spend the remainder of his life attired in Penney's outfits,to the value of 15euros.
Can't think of any more conditions,the above would do nicely!

Do people actually boast about not watching rte? Maybe boast is the wrong word.Perhaps these people are hoping that by stating they don't,others may wonder why they don't.

RTE will always be disliked by growing percentage of people. The reason being less and less are watching it but they're forced to pay for it through the licence fee. Of course, we all know what would happen if it was subscription based and receiving the channels was based on an optional licence fee.

pgj2015 wrote: »

they are just self hating Irish people usually, RTE is Irish so they pretend not to watch it.

That has to be the most stupid comment here. I don't like Fair City therefore I hate myself? Actually, is Fair City still a thing? I don't know because I don't watch RTE

Mad_maxx wrote: »

Cooper is the biggest WOKE merchant in the country, insufferable wally

Stopped being good years ago and hopped on the PC train

im wondering is he being hindered by the times ban as his contributors replacing the times crew over the last 2 years have declined in quality from informative, good debate to now him letting shrill teenagers from the journal or the latest attention seeking twitter windbag to rant unchallenged

paleoperson wrote: »

I have to say, I agree with OP to an extent. I do get the sense sometimes that some people are just hating on RTE to put themselves on some kind of pedestal.

You'd be on a fairly small pedestal if bashing RTE below you was your measure of success..