What's the reason for the TV licence?

Kimia · 26-11-2011 09:36PM #1

I realise this may be seen as a very stupid question but why exactly do we have to pay a TV licence fee? RTE get funding from advertising so why do they also charge an annual fee? BBC don't have any advertising..

Sky King · 26-11-2011 09:38PM

It's to keep the licence inspectors employed so it is.

JOBS FOR THE BOYS!

Dotrel · 26-11-2011 09:39PM

I think RTE get about 50% from advertising and 50% from fees.

Obviously the BBC have a much bigger revenue so can get by without advertising.

As to the reason why we finance RTE? I guess theoretically it's about maintaining our culture. But I hardly see how that's happening when I'm watching an episode or CSI or Home and Away on RTE or when they buy US shows and dump them in the graveyard shift for no other reason than to prevent their competitors from getting them. TBH I'd just as soon leave them to their own devices and let them sink or swim.

maxfresh · 26-11-2011 09:40PM

Say 2million odd housholds pay it ,so 160 euro x 2million thats a lot of cash for rte

26-11-2011 09:44PM

When it was first introduced it was a tax on luxury, well you had to be rich to buy a TV before the 60s (they were the price of a car). These days it makes no sense at all to have it as a separate tax, it should just be absorbed into the general taxation system and save a fortune in collection & administration costs.

L.Jenkins · 26-11-2011 09:44PM

Yeay for paying RTE for he pleasure of providing sh1t programming.

senorwipesalot · 26-11-2011 09:46PM

To keep Pat Kenny in 7 series BMWs.

ArmaniJeanss · 26-11-2011 09:47PM

Kimia wrote: »

I realise this may be seen as a very stupid question but why exactly do we have to pay a TV licence fee? RTE get funding from advertising so why do they also charge an annual fee? BBC don't have any advertising..

Whatever the pros and cons of RTE and the license, the comparison with BBC is a false one as the BBC is fairly unique in being funded exclusively by the license fee.
A license fee + advertising is generally the norm, for example in Italy, France and Germany, though in some countries advertising is limited to certain times of the day.

Kimia · 26-11-2011 09:48PM

Dotrel wrote: »

I think RTE get about 50% from advertising and 50% from fees.

Obviously the BBC have a much bigger revenue so can get by without advertising.

As to the reason why we finance RTE? I guess theoretically it's about maintaining our culture. But I hardly see how that's happening when I'm watching an episode or CSI or Home and Away on RTE or when they buy US shows and dump them in the graveyard shift for no other reason than to prevent their competitors from getting them. TBH I'd just as soon leave them to their own devices and let them sink or swim.

50% of what?

RTE's advertising rates are the highest in Ireland. How does TV3 get by without licence fees?

It seems absolutely ridiculous. Is there any way to actually push for no TV licence fee at all? Besides just not paying it.

We were moving overseas and they said we still had to pay for the full year (even though we would be away for half of it). We never did. I assume nothing's come of it as we don't have an address in Ireland any more.

My name is URL · 26-11-2011 09:48PM

maxfresh wrote: »

Say 2million odd housholds pay it ,so 160 euro x 2million thats a lot of cash for rte

There aren't that many households in the state.

amdublin · 26-11-2011 09:49PM

So that RTE can buy and show programs like Brian and Pippa get married.

:mad:

pconn062 · 26-11-2011 09:50PM

Its used to fund quality programming like "Brian and Pippa get married". :rolleyes:

*Edit: amdublin bet me to it!

Dotrel · 26-11-2011 09:50PM

Kimia wrote: »

50% of what?

IIRC in the region of €350m-400m p/a

Kimia · 26-11-2011 09:52PM

I think it should be voluntary - if you want RTE 1 & 2 then you pay the licence fee. If you don't pay the fee you don't get those two channels. I'd be fine without RTE sh*te shows.

maxfresh · 26-11-2011 09:52PM

My name is URL wrote: »

There aren't that many households in the state.

Sorry i took a rough guess its more like 1.4

http://www.cso.ie/quicktables/GetQuickTables.aspx?FileName=CNA33.asp&TableName=Number+of+private+households+and+persons+in+private+households+in+each+Province+,+County+and+City&StatisticalProduct=DB_CN

Ghandee · 26-11-2011 09:52PM

My name is URL wrote: »

There aren't that many households in the state.

That's what I was thinking.

A population off (give or take) 4 million.

That'd mean, one in two of us own a gaff, and that, IMO wouldn't be the truth!

My name is URL · 26-11-2011 09:58PM

maxfresh wrote: »

Sorry i took a rough guess its more like 1.4

http://www.cso.ie/quicktables/GetQuickTables.aspx?FileName=CNA33.asp&TableName=Number+of+private+households+and+persons+in+private+households+in+each+Province+,+County+and+City&StatisticalProduct=DB_CN

And I'd say that barely half of those are required to pay the license fee, for one reason or another. Whatever amount RTE get out of it is too much though, considering the quality of output

maxfresh · 26-11-2011 10:02PM

rte player is annoying , the amount of ads and its pretty buggy too

scholar007 · 26-11-2011 10:03PM

Kimia wrote: »

I why exactly do we have to pay a TV licence fee?

I thought that was obvious - To pay compensation to any people libelled on Primetime investigates.........

gurramok · 26-11-2011 10:16PM

Its a TV tax to fund a station which pays its 'stars' way over the top for their talents. Those stars would never get a salary\fee like that anywhere else on Planet Earth.

Kimia · 26-11-2011 10:20PM

Seriously, is there nothing that can be done about it?

charlemont · 26-11-2011 10:20PM

I treat a TV License like 7up, I never have, I never will...

John Doe1 · 26-11-2011 10:25PM

Populist response: "To schit on the common man, revolution!!!"

AH response: "Your ma"

26-11-2011 10:34PM

Kimia wrote: »

Seriously, is there nothing that can be done about it?

Abolish it and lose the costs in general taxation.

El Guapo! · 26-11-2011 10:38PM

On the subject of tv licences I have a quick question. I paid it last year but didn't renew it this year. I've been broke lately and haven't had any spare cash and have bills with higher priority than the tv licence.
I got a few notices off them and on thursday I got a legal notice off them.

So what's the next step? Will I be called to court if I don't pay it this time?

Hank_Jones · 26-11-2011 10:46PM

Dean09 wrote: »

On the subject of tv licences I have a quick question. I paid it last year but didn't renew it this year. I've been broke lately and haven't had any spare cash and have bills with higher priority than the tv licence.
I got a few notices off them and on thursday I got a legal notice off them.

So what's the next step? Will I be called to court if I don't pay it this time?

Close your blinds and don't answer the door to strangers.

That should do it.

mathepac · 26-11-2011 11:00PM

In reply to the question posed in the thread title, the reason for the TV licence is to allow you to legally own and operate a television receiver on your property.

Before the TV licence there was the radio licence to allow you to legally own and operate a radio receiver on your property.

Before we had a television station, we had television licences in Ireland as people on the East coast could receive BBC TV and the border areas had UTV.

Just as you need a licence for a firearm, a licence for a dog, a licence to drive a car, you need a TV licence if you have a TV. It doesn't matter if the TV doesn't work, if you never watch RTE, etc, etc, you still are legally required to have a licence.

eth0 · 26-11-2011 11:02PM

I don't have a TV license

Frank Black · 26-11-2011 11:06PM

charlemont wrote: »

I treat a TV License like 7up, I never have, I never will...

me too,

I keep it in the fridge.

mathepac · 26-11-2011 11:08PM

eth0 wrote: »

I don't have a TV license

As long as you don't have a TV that's cool; if you do have a TV then join the long line of spongers, freeloaders and gombeen (wo)men ruining the country.

prettygurrly · 26-11-2011 11:10PM

charlemont wrote: »

I treat a TV License like 7up, I never have, I never will...

i was the same until i moved house and sadly the previous occupiers had owned a tv licence so the inspector appeared at my door at 5.10 pm and i didn't realise who he was till the door was opened and i was served. oh well. i do watch a lot of rte...republic of telly, the news, reeling in the years etc etc. and i love my home and away every day.

have to say, it gets tedious not being able to open the door without thinking so having it paid now is peace of mind.

p.s. you dont have to buy a full year at a time. you can pay monthly nowadays, for those of you leaving the country and not wanting to pay for the full year understandably

What's the reason for the TV licence?

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