INCOME FROM THE TV licence is down €14.2 million to date this year arising from the RTÉ payment scandal as growing numbers of people are opting not to renew their licence, new figures show.
According to figures provided by the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sports and Media, Catherine Martin, revenues from the €160 TV licence are down 31% from 1 July to 16 October compared with the corresponding period for last year.
RTÉ was plunged into crisis in June when the State broadcaster revealed it under-declared fees to its then-highest-paid staff member Ryan Tubridy. The scandal widened as a series of other financial and governance issues emerged.
The crisis has triggered the departure of several key executives from the national broadcaster and a severing of ties between the broadcaster and Tubridy.
In new figures provided by Minister Martin in a written Dail reply to Fianna Fáil TD James O’Connor, the minister reveals that up to 16 October last year, RTÉ had obtained €101.098 million in TV licence revenue.
However, this compares to €89.48 million for the same period this year.
Martin states that RTÉ receives 93% of net TV licence revenue sales and told Deputy O’Connor “is it further estimated that the loss of income to RTÉ to year end will be up to €21 million”.
Earlier this month, RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst admitted at the Public Accounts Committee that the State broadcaster will run of cash by next spring without a bailout from the Government.
In her reply, Martin stated that TV licence sales from 1 January to 16 October this year stand at 642,860 – compared to 731,772 for the corresponding period last year.
Martin said this is a reduction of 88,912 or 12% on the same period last year.
‘Priority for Government’
The minister said: “This represents an estimated decline of €14.2 million in revenues which support not only RTÉ but also the Broadcasting Fund which in turn supports the Sound and Vision Scheme, and is very important to the independent production sector.”
She added: “The restoration of sustainable and secure funding for public service broadcasting is a priority for Government.”
However, the month-by-month figures show that people opting not to renew their TV licence is having a contagion effect with the number renewing from 1 October to 16 October down 40% on the same period last year.
The figures show that only 23,010 purchased a licence from 1 to 16 October, compared to 38,473 for the same period last year.
The percentage drop is far greater than the percentage not renewing in September which 29% down on September 2022, while August and July were 29.6% and 29.8% down respectively.
The gross revenue from the TV licence is down €14.2 million while An Post’s commission is down €664,459 from €7.3 million to €6.63 million. The net revenue from the TV licence is down €13.56 million from €109.78 million to €96.2 million.
Along with RTÉ taking a €12.6 million hit in the year to date, the Broadcasting Fund has reduced by €949,302 from €7.68 million to €6.7 million.
At a sitting of Ennis District Court earlier this month, 14 people before the court for non-payment of their TV licence escaped any court sanction after their cases were struck out on application from the State.
This followed the retirement of an An Post employee who was no longer in a position to provide evidence in court on the non-payment of the TV licences.
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