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Child Item

Stop Paying Your RTE Licence?

Nosler

I'm fed up with the one sided reporting of RTE regarding certain issues.

The media seem to parrot whatever politicians say and anyone against their viewpoint is a "far right racist".

I don't think RTE is serving the Irish people. In fact I think RTE is actively undermining Ireland and it's people.

Why should Irish people be forced to pay money to an organisation that insults them and their viewpoints?

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TomTomTim

What are you talking about? They had a great, balanced debate there the other day about immigration, where all of the panel agreed with each other on everything, which is how all good debates should go.

tinytobe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058283944/stop-paying-your-rte-licence

I've noticed that the RTE is rather left on certain matters, especially immigration and taking in refugees.

Even the opinion that limiting refugees into the country only due to the chronic housing shortage is too much for the RTE.

You can simply stop paying the RTE license if you really have no TV anymore. Sell the TV somewhere online, stop paying the RTE license fee and you're completely within the law.

elperello

Exactly no TV no licence, simple.

And as a bonus you can continue to listen to your radio which doesn't require a licence.

tinytobe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120231548#Comment_120231548

I honestly haven't owned a TV in more than 20 years now. The reason for that wasn't only RTE or the TV license, but many modern TVs are not exactly user-friendly to handle. Decent sports is also better watched in a pub.

And a laptop computer and internet is way more to me, many different newspapers and content online anyway.

I see the same development with Radio as well, internet is simply offering too much and nearly everything from around the world. Why consider radio if outside of Dublin the choice of stations is so limited and DAB+ is enemy number one by lawmakers and society?

elperello

I wouldn't be without a TV myself but it's just a personal preference.

The internet is very useful but contains a lot of misinformation.

You have to be careful and only use trustworthy sources.

FM radio is very versatile when you are out and about.

bucketybuck

Covid made it very clear that RTE are just a propaganda channel, I was disgusted with their conduct throughout the pandemic and will never give them one iota of respect as long as I live.

The chance of me paying for their license is zero. **** them.

walterking

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058283944/stop-paying-your-rte-licence

Should RTE (or any media) kowtow to far right agitators who create a "protest" for a new reason every few months?

3 years ago it was Covid, then they added masks, and then they were against the vaccines (now causing issues with utter fools not getting everyday vaccines) and this years flavour is immigration

The amount of misinformation these agitators spout out is quite unbelievable - but even worse is the very gullible fools that actually believe them.

The latest (and rather dangerous) statement was showing a convoy of 5 busses and stating that these were full of "military age men" (they love their agitatory descriptions), when the busses were full of YOUNG PRIMARY AGE SCHOOLCHILDREN returning from Norton stadium in Santry after a primary schools sports event. And it was rather amazing the amount of very very stupid people who actually believed the far right scumbag that they were immigrants. (and so what if they were - 1.3 million Irish born people live abroad and only 840,000 non Irish born people live here - another 460,000 before we have any right to complain

So no, RTE and the other media should not give the time of day to these scumbags

Wibbs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120232157#Comment_120232157

and so what if they were - 1.3 million Irish born people live abroad and only 840,000 non Irish born people live here - another 460,000 before we have any right to complain

How many of those 1.3 million Irish born people living abroad are claiming asylum and claiming they're refugees? How many Irish born people are entering and living abroad illegally? And yes I'd deport those who are. How many Irish born people arrinving in other nations dump their passports and other identification?

Of the 840,000 non Irish born living here the vast majority came here legally. Over 100,000 Poles alone did and do. Same for those from other EU nations, which we directly voted for and of course those who applied to work here, from the ME, Africa, Asia, the Americas. Never mind the near 100,000 Ukrainians who arrived from an actual warzone. Yet we have for example Georgians showing up here, at least a third "missing" documentation, from a nation considered safe enough that Russians fleeing their clusterfúck have been pouring into the place.

So your argument doesn't really stack up does it?

Wibbs

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120231761#Comment_120231761

Ditto. Around six years ago I realised I wasn't watching much TV any more, not just RTE, but I watched them the least. So I got shot of the telly and declared same and haven't paid the RTE fund since. Of the Irish stations, I did tune into TG4 and they show just how much and how well a station can do and provide on a fraction of the budget of the gravy train in Montrose.

tinytobe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120232118#Comment_120232118

It sure looks like that. As said, you can always sell your TV. Nothing illegal about that. As people find it increasingly hard to agree with the government, they also tend to disagree with the public broadcaster. This development is seen in nearly every western country.

One eyed Jack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058283944/stop-paying-your-rte-licence

Why should Irish people be forced to pay money to an organisation that insults them and their viewpoints?

Nobody is being forced to pay money to an organisation that insults them and their viewpoints, that’s not the basis upon which anyone is expected to pay for a license for a tv. If they still have a tv and they don’t want to pay a license for it, the easiest solution is just to get rid of the tv. Refusing to pay a licence for it simply means they get fined. If anyone has an issue with the content provided by RTE, there are actually avenues to address their complaints or concerns.

FWIW there’s plenty more RTE provides and funds than just current affairs programming where the panelists don’t reflect your views, and for the princely sum of €160 a year, they actually provide great value in terms of their overall output. Sure, they produce some absolute eye-watering stinkers too like the Toy Show musical, but they’re trying to cater for a much wider audience than just anyone’s particular personal tastes. There’s always premium subscription content if you want that level of curated content.

Annasopra

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120232157#Comment_120232157

Thats it isnt it. The fact that protesters are trying to intimidate Newspaper and TV outlets in this country really shows up they are far right extremists and hypocrites. On the one hand they claim to stand for free speech. On the other hand they are trying to intimidate journalists, newspapers and broadcasters.

Ger Roe

Paying the licence fee is not just all about news and entertainment, or even watching TV. There have been many important national issues exposed and detailed by RTE over the years, that would not have seen the light of day if the organisation did not exist.

That in itself is worth paying for, even if you never watched TV .... there literally is a much bigger picture to see when discussing the merits of the licence fee, including how many Irish online 'news sources' or social media outlets simply repeat or rewrite reports that originate from RTE.

As a TV station, I hardly ever watch RTE and there are some 'entertainment' programmes on it that should have been written off at the initial pitch meeting, but I rely heavily on it for a radio service and factual information and I appreciate the service it has provided in exposing major scandals that people in various governments down the years, would have preferred remain unknown.

Having that level of accountability is worth the licence fee to me. Of course there are those who don't trust it as a news source, but it can not be denied that they regularly lift the lid off issues that you would be waiting a long time for Newstalk or a website to uncover.

Nosler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120232157#Comment_120232157

"Scumbags"? Do you work for RTE?

The issue with RTE is that they don't report on issues honestly. They only allow certain viewpoints to be heard.

I can go onto youtube and I can get a more objective viewpoint from an amateur commentator than RTE provides.

The job of the media in a democracy is vital. They should question politicians about how they are running the country. They should point out shortcomings in their policies. However time after time the media show themselves as lap dogs of politicians....

Nosler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120232631#Comment_120232631

If you have a telly you need to pay RTE if you watch RTE or not....

I'd be cool with that if RTE was unbiased.... however they are basically an off shot of the Irish Government.

One eyed Jack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120232639#Comment_120232639

You can go on YouTube and get a view which is more consistent with your views. It’s the complete opposite of an objective view, and even then content creators on YouTube have to adhere to certain guidelines, same as RTE or any other media outlet that publishes content.

Whether anyone does or doesn’t pay their tv licence has no bearing on what RTE or other media outlets determine is or isn’t in the public interest, they’d publish the same content anyway, while anyone who doesn’t pay their tv license just ends up being fined for having a tv without a licence.

Addmagnet

I pay for the licence because it's the law.

I don't watch, listen to, or visit the RTE website because none of it appeals to me.

This is how it is.

tinytobe

I think that there are many newspapers to read which offer a good and excellently researched opinion on things. One doesn't need a public sector broadcaster be it RTE or something else. Lawmakers don't force you to subscribe to a certain newspaper, if you want another newspaper, or pay contribution to a church or a religion you don't believe in. These times are over, but why should this continue for TV?

However, I do admit the BBC is remarkably neutral on news.

The rest is pretty simple. If you don't own a TV you don't need to pay. So if you disagree with RTE sell your TV and you clearly don't need a license.

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/2058283944/stop-paying-your-rte-licence

Ceased doing so nearly four years ago, couldn’t in conscience fund an outfit so utterly hostage to NGO interests ( which damage the country)

Mad_maxx

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120232657#Comment_120232657

No , the Irish government are an offshot of RTE , RTE set the government agenda, not the other way around

TomTomTim

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120232686#Comment_120232686

It’s the complete opposite of an objective view

Nonsense as usual. Youtubers who cover news aren't a hive mind, some are right wing biased, some left, some try to be as impartial as possible.

TomTomTim

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120232725#Comment_120232725

So if you disagree with RTE sell your TV and you clearly don't need a license.

Ridiculous, you know that TVs have more use than watching TV stations? We're not in the 80's anymore. It's beyond absurd to suggest that people should go without TVs because they've an issue with our state broadcaster.

Boggles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120232639#Comment_120232639

The issue with RTE is that they don't report on issues honestly.

Could you give a few examples of RTE reports that have been dishonest?

tinytobe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120232807#Comment_120232807

There is nothing ridiculous. I have the right to sell my TV and then stop paying the RTE license fee. I am not suggesting everyone should, only those who disagree with the RTE so much that it's worth doing it.

Hungry Burger

RTÉ: Input coke, output woke.

Nosler

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120232824#Comment_120232824

The way RTE has reported the asylum seeker crisis is dishonest...

We've known for decades the asylum system is getting abused, hardly any bogus asylum seekers are deported, there is no room for hundreds of thousands of asylum seekers, no one suddenly loses their passport at an airport.

However RTE labelled anyone that questioned the asylum system as a "hard right extremist racist".

Goebbels would have been happy with this level of one sided propaganda.

elperello

So far we have established that selling your TV is a good way to avoid buying a TV licence.

All very straightforward and every individual has that choice.

The problem is if everyone did that there would be no money to run our Public Broadcasting Service.

Allinall

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120232897#Comment_120232897

How did we know this for decades?

Where did we get the information from?

One eyed Jack

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120232792#Comment_120232792

What’s actually nonsense is the idea that content creators on YouTube are any more or less objective than RTE when the only comparison that can be made between the two is on the basis that they’re both dependent upon revenue from advertising. It’s nothing to do with YouTube content creators being any more or less of a hive mind than anyone in RTE. YouTube and any other social media platforms have to adhere to a set of standards the same way as RTE does.

Broadcasting standards means RTE are limited in scope in the same way as content creators on YouTube are limited in scope by the three strikes and other restrictions imposed by YouTube and their parent company Alphabet, who don’t care about left or right wing anything, they only care about any threat to their revenue streams.

RTE choosing not to provide the kind of content the OP likes doesn’t in any way have any impact on the idea of democracy. The OP is free to publish their own opinions and express their own views while adhering to Irish laws which place the same limitations on everyone’s freedom of expression. They’re just not entitled to a platform, and the license fee isn’t to provide RTE with a platform either. Their status as the national broadcaster is what gives anyone in RTE their platform. As you’ve pointed out above, the licence fee isn’t paid on the basis of funding RTE, it’s for being in possession of a tv on the premises. Getting rid of the tv wouldn’t have any impact on RTE, it would simply mean the OP doesn’t have to pay a licence for something they don’t have, and not paying their licence for a tv which is still in their possession only leads to the possibility of creating a loss for themselves in terms of being fined for being in breach of Irish law.

Boggles

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120232897#Comment_120232897

TBF I didn't ask for your opinion.

I asked for examples, if you are correct in your assertions it shouldn't be that difficult to produce evidence.

So in your own time please link to these reports that were not honest.

Also if you could keep it more general, I don't think anyone needs or wants another asylum thread.