!!! Warning to TV Licence Inspectors !!!

kowloon · 12-05-2014 7:27pm

the groutch wrote: »

are you by any chance related to Facekicker?

The Fister! Hmmm, something's not quite right about that.

Tail Docker · 12-05-2014 7:29pm

The Backwards Man wrote: »

I pay my TV licence because I'm not a hard man.

TV licences are for cissies.

Admittedly, I do have one though..

dxhound2005 · 12-05-2014 7:30pm

BBDBB wrote: »

No worries

Exactly, using a law dated from then seems a foolhardy thing to even try. Given the responses from the evaders in this thread and every thread like it on after hours, it doesn't seem to be a system that's going to work.

That's why I suggested charging for a licence when someone buys a new tv. Either that or they show up with a copy of their existing licence when buying or collecting it.

Another angle to consider is that in all probability we import all our tellys from abroad, shouldn't be too hard to tax them upon importation and let the retailers collect the licence fee or absorb the cost

Good ideas but they fall down when it comes to the time to renew the licence which has to be done annually by law. The vendor couldn't be expected to be responsible for any element of the collection process years after they sold the TV. I don't know how the Broadcasting Charge will be collected but it would be a dreadful mistake if it was to rely on the present system which has never managed anywhere near 100% compliance.

rubadub · 12-05-2014 7:35pm

BBDBB wrote: »

That's why I suggested charging for a licence when someone buys a new tv. Either that or they show up with a copy of their existing licence when buying or collecting it.

99% of households are supposed to be liable. If they insist on people paying a subscription, rather than an optional subscription, then it's far more cost effective to just charge everyone, just like they do with so many other government supplied services.

I read before that 8% of the fees goes towards collection costs by an post. That would only be part of it, RTE have lost revenue showing those stupid ads instead of getting revenue from real ads, and court time, investigating non-payers, issuing fines which will never be paid etc. Must cost a fortune.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/licence-fee-system-should-be-scrapped-26332130.html

Fine Gael made the call just days after RTE received a €2 licence fee hike which will kick-in on January 1, 2008, pushing the fee up to €160.

The party's communications spokesman, Simon Coveney, said people are being forced to pay for the estimated 16pc of households that are not willing to pay the licence fee.

The current system is similar to the car insurance system, whereby people who pay insurance "must pay for those who do not", he added.

Instead of the current intrusive and inefficient system of collecting money to finance public service broadcasting, the Government could finance it through general taxation, Mr Coveney said.

BBDBB · 12-05-2014 7:38pm

dxhound2005 wrote: »

Good ideas but they fall down when it comes to the time to renew the licence which has to be done annually by law. The vendor couldn't be expected to be responsible for any element of the collection process years after they sold the TV. I don't know how the Broadcasting Charge will be collected but it would be a dreadful mistake if it was to rely on the present system which has never managed anywhere near 100% compliance.

True
Why not make the charge a one off rather than an annual repeat?
Whilst not a perfect system I think we agree that the existing process is failing and will continue to do so as more people believe that the system is toothless and if their neighbours can get away with not paying then so can they

No I agree, the responsibility could only be legally enforced upon the initial sale, chasing it thereafter would be just as futile as the current system. Those who want to evade paying would still do so on a second hand sale, although those selling second hand tvs might increase their price to cover the cost of a licence in part or in full.

Dunno, im just idly speculating really

Dia1988 · 12-05-2014 7:39pm

Hi,

With the new Broadcasting charge, can just just say they have
No Internet
No mobile phone
No TV
No radio
No laptop

And live the life of a recluse

Can they search your house or could you get away without paying this?

BBDBB · 12-05-2014 7:42pm

rubadub wrote: »

99% of households are supposed to be liable. If they insist on people paying a subscription, rather than an optional subscription, then it's far more cost effective to just charge everyone, just like they do with so many other government supplied services.

I read before that 8% of the fees goes towards collection costs by an post. That would only be part of it, RTE have lost revenue showing those stupid ads instead of getting revenue from real ads, and court time, investigating non-payers, issuing fines which will never be paid etc. Must cost a fortune.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/licence-fee-system-should-be-scrapped-26332130.html

That's another option of course. Its a bit Big Brother and I think a compulsory subscription would seem more unfair and very unpopular, I don't think a government would dare.

Pocoyo · 12-05-2014 7:45pm

rubadub wrote: »

by not paying you are effectively robbing from others, forcing them to pay your share, there's a reason its so high. No real difference between not paying this and normal tax evasion.

Absolute rubbish so you believe if every one paid the licence fee would go down??? No no no sir YOU ARE WRONG so WRONG in fact i am offended if more people paid, the RTE fat cats would simply receive an extra 500k per year,Please dont be fooled so easily now.... apologize for your post.

rubadub · 12-05-2014 7:52pm

BBDBB wrote: »

I think a compulsory subscription would seem more unfair and very unpopular, I don't think a government would dare.

but the current situation IS a compulsory subscription, its just easy to avoid and has stupid costs associated with it. And it certainly is unpopular.

Imagine the introduced a footpath licence, and if you owned shoes you had to pay it, and you could just hide inside and not pay. You would similarly have thieves saying "I never use the footpath, it benefits me in absolutely no way, either directly or indirectly, sure the paths in my area are rubbish, I'm not paying". Its ridiculous to give people the way to easily not pay, if 99% are getting usage then just charge everyone, I expect there are loads of things that the public pay for that far fewer than 99% use, like subsidised or free museums or parks etc. I have more respect for traditional straight up thieves who at least are not down the pud with their other thieving mates all patting themselves on the back as though they are standing up for their rights and that their crime is benign with no repercussions on anybody elses finances.

dxhound2005 · 12-05-2014 7:55pm

More likely the future of broadcasting will not really be broadcasting. Companies like UPC and now Eircom call their TV services TV but they are not being broadcast by terrestrial transmitters or from satellites. They are provided through copper/fibre hybrid lines and this will be the model which will become more common.

Also the techonlogy already exists to put spot beams on satellites which can exclude most of the overspill into neighbouring territories. It is being done by Saorsat which only covers the island of Ireland and a little bit of England and Wales. It is not possible to get UPC or the new Eircom TV without paying for it. So if traditional terrestrial and satellite broadcasting is to continue with Free to Air content it will still have to be funded.

rubadub · 12-05-2014 7:55pm

Pocoyo wrote: »

Absolute rubbish so you believe if every one paid the licence fee would go down???

:rolleyes: sweet fucking jesus

rubadub wrote: »

. I am not saying the licence will go down

Pocoyo wrote: »

apologize for your post.

Right back at you... christ, cringeworthy shite...

SuperDude87 · 12-05-2014 7:56pm

Titzon Toast wrote: »

I had an inspector call to my door a couple of weeks back. I didn't answer the door and he left a card addressed to "The occupier". They don't have my name and without it they can go and jump in a river!

To the people berating others for not paying. Get a grip, you're just pissed off because you had no choice but to pay.
If it was voluntary would you have coughed up that insane amount they ask for? I think not.

I've been living in France for almost 6 years. Now whatever you can say about Irish TV being bad French TV is beyond belief. Anyway that's not the point.

Here you have to tick a box on your yearly tax declaration to say you DON'T own a TV if not it's included in your yearly council tax bill.

I pay it despite having a TV I found on the side of a street and mainly using it to watch stuff from home anyway.

My point is I pay it because I just want a quiet life. No hassle, no messing and no stress. I'm sure a lot of people pay the tv license for the same reason - don't get me wrong I don't like it/necessarily agree with it but if it gives people one less reason to knock on my door then I am all for paying a few euro a day for that.

Pocoyo · 12-05-2014 7:57pm

rubadub wrote: »

but the current situation IS a compulsory subscription, its just easy to avoid and has stupid costs associated with it. And it certainly is unpopular.

Imagine the introduced a footpath licence, and if you owned shoes you had to pay it, and you could just hide inside and not pay. You would similarly have thieves saying "I never use the footpath, it benefits me in absolutely no way, either directly or indirectly, sure the paths in my area are rubbish, I'm not paying". Its ridiculous to give people the way to easily not pay, if 99% are getting usage then just charge everyone, I expect there are loads of things that the public pay for that far fewer than 99% use, like subsidised or free museums or parks etc. I have more respect for traditional straight up thieves who at least are not down the pud with their other thieving mates all patting themselves on the back as though they are standing up for their rights and that their crime is benign with no repercussions on anybody elses finances.

I got an idea how about we scrap RTE 1,2 JNR and host of other repulsively bad radio stations such as pulse and just have one channel thats is dedicated to current affairs i enjoyed love/hate but i just dont feel i should pay for ryan tubridy's millionaire lifestyle when i can get freesat for free.

Dia1988 · 12-05-2014 8:00pm

Hi,

With the new Broadcasting charge, can just just say they have
No Internet
No mobile phone
No TV
No radio
No laptop

And live the life of a recluse

Can they search your house or could you get away without paying this?

Pocoyo · 12-05-2014 8:06pm

rubadub wrote: »

I have more respect for traditional straight up thieves who at least are not down the pud with their other thieving mates all patting themselves on the back as though they are standing up for their rights and that their crime is benign with no repercussions on anybody elses finances.

So you have more respect for a burglar than you do for some one who didnt pay for a tv licence thats messed up.

Allyall · 12-05-2014 8:09pm

They should make Tubridy and Co. collect it. Let them try and earn it for once.

Dia1988 · 12-05-2014 8:14pm

Hi,

With the new Broadcasting charge, can just just say they have
No Internet
No mobile phone
No TV
No radio
No laptop

And live the life of a recluse

Can they search your house or could you get away without paying this?

MugMugs · 12-05-2014 8:15pm

Always fascinated by this. I had a call recently to my door by one.

"TV Licence Inspector"

"I don't have one"

"A TV or a licence"

"Both"

"May I come inside and check"

"No"

"May I have your name?"

"No"

"Your obliged to let me in"

"No I'm not. Bye"

Never heard from him again. I presume he needs your name to get a warrant ?

dickwod1 · 12-05-2014 8:19pm

Dia1988 wrote: »

Hi,

With the new Broadcasting charge, can just just say they have
No Internet
No mobile phone
No TV
No radio
No laptop

And live the life of a recluse

Can they search your house or could you get away without paying this?

Yes a S.W.A.T team would be at your house in seconds

frozenfrozen · 12-05-2014 8:40pm

The licence isn't just for the couple of outrageously paid people in rte.

in 2012 the funding went:
80.46 RTE television
26.80 RTE radio
5.70 RTE support for tg4
0.07 BAI levy
6.79 TG4 deduction
10.52 BCI Sound & vision fund
9.79 Collection costs - an post/dcenr/dsp

What's really mad is that almost the same amount of money is spent chasing people and collecting the money, as goes to the sound and vision fund which is what keeps the whole thing ticking, it's a fund that independent or otherwise producers can get funding to make programs which will be aired on irish television or used to make films, shorts, radio programs etc, in ireland for the irish public. There could be twice as much funding for that if they didn't have all those license inspectors running after people who will clearly never pay them.

I'm not going to stand up for the tv licence because it's a very unpopular opinion, but we need it. It funds our national broadcaster for news and *some* entertainment, allows there to be a functioning irish film community/whatever you want to call it, and just does what is already in other countries.

Of course not everything on rte is going to appeal to you, but between the news, and the odd program that you watch on it, that's your share of it. They have an obligation to entertain, inform, and educate the public and cater to all audiences. If you feel like you're not being fairly represented by the content rte are making, you can file an official complaint to rte, and if they don't give you a satisfactory response then you can complain to the BAI.

Obviously there's loads of crap, but the crap is cheap to make, your 35 cent or whatever it is a day is being used up if you listen to the radio for 20 minutes in the morning 20 minutes in the afternoon, watch the news and the weather, and then maybe 1 'program'.

If everyone paid it, they would have a ****load of money to spend on actual programs, they wouldn't just keep giving radio presenters raises. The government doesn't control what's on rte, and what's on rte depends on the demographic watching at certain times.

Maybe there's nothing on rte suitable for 18-40 year olds because no 18-40 year olds pay their fcuking tv license

(now I look like an rte apologiser and I'll be burned at the stake

)

Sulla Felix · 12-05-2014 8:43pm

BBJBIG wrote: »

Says on the Radio that they will now come to visit us on the Weekends ...
So ... disturb my Weekend - and, get a Fist in the Face.

Just so they know to avoid your house, care to put up your address? Purely so they can avoid it of course, not at all to know which one to put the court summons through. :pac:

Dia1988 · 12-05-2014 8:43pm

dickwod1 wrote: »

Yes a S.W.A.T team would be at your house in seconds

Oh Lord!

Never even knew the S.W.A.T team were in Ireland, is it only for T.V licence inspections?

Maphisto · 12-05-2014 8:44pm

dickwod1 wrote: »

You can blare the Eastenders theme as loud as you like, Tell them your watching it on the RTE Player - No licence needed!

You can tell them that yes - but if its on at its scheduled time the inspector has prima facie evidence.

mikemac1 · 12-05-2014 8:46pm

Could you live with the shame? :eek:

Dia1988 · 12-05-2014 8:48pm

Can the T.V licence inspectors speak Polish/Lithuanian/Pourtugeese or Gaeilge?

What happens if there is a language barrier?

Maphisto · 12-05-2014 8:50pm

mikemac1 wrote: »

Could you live with the shame? :eek:

Years and years ago my grandmother (God bless her) had a visit.

Whatever he asked she just kept repeating:

"We haven't got a dog"

"We used to have one but he kept barking, had to get rid of it."

Over and over again. In the end the guy just left.

Nothing heard of again.

dxhound2005 · 12-05-2014 8:51pm

Dia1988 wrote: »

Can the T.V licence inspectors speak Polish/Lithuanian/Pourtugeese or Gaeilge?

What happens if there is a language barrier?

http://www.anpost.ie/AnPost/FAQs/TV+Licence+FAQsPolski29022008.htm

Olive8585 · 12-05-2014 8:54pm

frozenfrozen wrote: »

The licence isn't just for the couple of outrageously paid people in rte.

in 2012 the funding went:
80.46 RTE television
26.80 RTE radio
5.70 RTE support for tg4
0.07 BAI levy
6.79 TG4 deduction
10.52 BCI Sound & vision fund
9.79 Collection costs - an post/dcenr/dsp

What's really mad is that almost the same amount of money is spent chasing people and collecting the money, as goes to the sound and vision fund which is what keeps the whole thing ticking, it's a fund that independent or otherwise producers can get funding to make programs which will be aired on irish television or used to make films, shorts, radio programs etc, in ireland for the irish public. There could be twice as much funding for that if they didn't have all those license inspectors running after people who will clearly never pay them.

I'm not going to stand up for the tv licence because it's a very unpopular opinion, but we need it. It funds our national broadcaster for news and *some* entertainment, allows there to be a functioning irish film community/whatever you want to call it, and just does what is already in other countries.

Of course not everything on rte is going to appeal to you, but between the news, and the odd program that you watch on it, that's your share of it. They have an obligation to entertain, inform, and educate the public and cater to all audiences. If you feel like you're not being fairly represented by the content rte are making, you can file an official complaint to rte, and if they don't give you a satisfactory response then you can complain to the BAI.

Obviously there's loads of crap, but the crap is cheap to make, your 35 cent or whatever it is a day is being used up if you listen to the radio for 20 minutes in the morning 20 minutes in the afternoon, watch the news and the weather, and then maybe 1 'program'.

If everyone paid it, they would have a ****load of money to spend on actual programs, they wouldn't just keep giving radio presenters raises. The government doesn't control what's on rte, and what's on rte depends on the demographic watching at certain times.

Maybe there's nothing on rte suitable for 18-40 year olds because no 18-40 year olds pay their fcuking tv license

(now I look like an rte apologiser and I'll be burned at the stake )

That's all grand but what about the money they make from advertising?

12-05-2014 9:00pm

Because if you need one (they reckon 99% of households need one) then by not paying you are effectively robbing from others, forcing them to pay your share, there's a reason its so high. No real difference between not paying this and normal tax evasion.

I don't consume RTE at all. I watch sky and pay my sub because I actually watch it. I get my radio news from Newstalk. I find the notion that I need to subsidise a state broadcaster that I don't use to be preposterous. It's very simple - RTE should be an opt in service. Simple to do - Sky and UPC can show them how. If you want it you subscribe, if not you are denied access - blue screen.

I pay €160/yr for a service I don't want, and have done for 15 years. That's robbery too. Owning a TV does not equate to being an RTE customer.

jonnny68 · 12-05-2014 9:07pm

I don't blame anyone who doesn't pay, absolute rubbish on TV and as for repeats how many years can RTE continue to repeat reeling in the years it was good the first time around, maybe even the second time around but it's now probably 10 years in a row row they are still showing it.

Not to mention paying the obscene salaries of people on RTE who aren't even worth a fraction of their salary.

!!! Warning to TV Licence Inspectors !!!

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