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WITHIN THE NEXT five years, the government plans to expand the existing TV licence scheme to also include a requirement to pay a fee if you watch content on your phone or laptop.
The expansion will cover people who use such devices to access the RTÉ Player or RTÉ radio online.
Minister for Communications Richard Bruton said this change will recognise “that the landscape in which broadcasters operate is undergoing a transformation”.
“Audiences are transitioning away from traditional platforms and are increasingly accessing content online through digital mediums,” he added. It currently costs €160 a year for a TV licence.
So, what do you think? Should the TV licence fee be extended to include watching content on phones and laptops?
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If they want people to pay a fee for using the RTÉ player and other online services it should be behind a paywall. A paywall which can be accessed from a unique code on your tv license. The same for tv content on saorview and sky etc.
Then they can leave us who don’t use RTÉ services alone and stop bother us about watching YouTube or playing PlayStation on a “Television”
@Jayme Mc Goldrick: and who’s going to investigate all the corruption etc ant and dec
@Jayme Mc Goldrick: That’s ‘licence’.
@Wild Goose: There you go again, jaysus, you’re on fire this morning. You can now smugly go about your day comfort in the knowledge that you have corrected two peoples autocorrect mistakes. I bet your parents are so proud.
@Wild Goose: Jane run quick the spelling police are after you. They don’t take kindly to that kind of American spelling around here.
@Wild Goose: stop being a tit.
@Wild Goose: what a clever clogs you must be.
@Darren Byrne: Careful Darren, it’s Jayme, not Jane. Wild Goose will crucify you for that one!
@Conor Thorne: you think rte investigate corruption?
@Thomas Maher: eh what do
You call the crèche investigation a week ago
@Wild Goose: Both terms are linguistically valid you absolute spanner
@Conor Thorne: Pity they wouldn’t investigate FG/FF. Now there’s corruption!
@Jayme Mc Goldrick:
Just scrap the TV licence alltogether.
@Conor Thorne: people who like watching investigations maybe, but perhaps aren’t bothered about funding eurovision, rte canteen dancing competitions etc
@Conor Thorne: you think that’s investigating corruption? Thats exposing miss management, bad company practise and possibly assault of children, a corruption investigation would be how does a man purchase a company seemingly dying but has had its debts written off by nama when the company was in the process of being awarded a government contract, investigating corruption would be an investigation into a government pushed biometric card which is i beleive is about to be reported as ilegal, hope that helps, let me know if you need more examples
@Jayme Mc Goldrick: It is called a TV license but it covers all forms of broadcast media. So it is not just for RTE and televisions
@Jayme Mc Goldrick: well let’s do something sign the petition!
http://chng.it/G67D6bG9
@Gary Kearney: if it is for all broadcasting then all broadcasting should be funded from it and that doesn’t happen. With RTÉ’s monopoly on funding does it contravene competition laws?
@Conor Thorne: You won’t find them investigating the vastly overpaid ‘stars’ of RTE anytime soon.
RTE’s remit is to manage the populations attitudes to government policy, to defend the main parties actions to ignore their corruption and condemn and demonise public protest. So the government will give them what the ask for coz the government must control the information the people get. For Instance the Fine Gael party was found cheating on their taxes for 9 consecutive years, how many people knew about that? we should fight this charge like the water charges. That’s if they figure a way around the data privacy laws.
@Jayme Mc Goldrick: rte always look as if they are out of their depth. Like children playing at being grown ups… Most of the presenters are really flat and talentless..
@Gary Kearney: obviously rte will take the bulk of the cash.. To sustain their chronically lack of talent..
No. There should be a subscription model. If you want it, you pay like Sky or Neflick. If you don’t then fair enough, you dont pay.
@Dan: they’re afraid to do that in case nobody subscribes.
@Adam Conroy: They’re afraid to do that BECAUSE no one will subscribe. FTFY
@Dan:
That was suggested a couple of years ago and apparently RTE executives went grey with worry that would exactly happen. Unsurprisingly, the govt dropped the idea.
No bloody way… Also, if we remove FG at the next election and vote FF in we’ll get the exact same. This broadcasting charge covering all devices was in the pipes under the last FF government and they’ll push it through when they’re back in as well. So the Irish people have to break from the habit of a lifetime and vote in a government that does not include FG or FF!
@Dan: VAT paid on device purchase and VAT paid to Internet service provider monthly. Enough is enough. I will not pay this ‘license fee’ as access to the internet is now a human right.
@Dan: well let’s do something sign the petition!
http://chng.it/G67D6bG9
When you download RTÉ player you should be asked for your TV license number.
That way those who want the service can pay for it and those who don’t – won’t.
@Shane Dunne: and that makes it a subscription service … fair play.
@WoodlandBard: well let’s do something sign the petition!
http://chng.it/G67D6bG9
The TV license should be abolished. Why should I or anyone else have to pay a fee for something I don’t use.
@Mr Bojangles: Thats ‘licence’.
@Wild Goose: teachers pet…
@Dan: that’s teacher’s
@Wild Goose: it would have thought it should be ‘That’s’
@Mr Bojangles: my taxes pay for childcare but I don’t have any that’s the way it goes
@Mr Bojangles: Why am I paying for things that help old people?
@Ed: Because, if you’re lucky, you will be old some day yourself you tool.
@Mr Bojangles: growing up is mandatory, growing old is a privilege granted to few.
@tommytukamomo: Hahahaha
@Wild Goose: *That’s quite pleasing.
@Mr Bojangles: well let’s do something sign the petition!
http://chng.it/G67D6bG9
We do not get value for our money from RTE.
@Paul O’Sullivan: so very true.
RTE should sell the D4 site and move West. That site is worth a lot and there are towns in the west that could use the jobs and population boost.
@Declan Hickey: but then they’d have to get out of their D4 mentalist and interact with actual culchies.
@Declan Hickey: could you imagine Fair city being made in Roscommon?
@Brendan Hughes: can’t be much worse than it already is
@Brendan Hughes: Ros na rún?
@Declan Hickey: listen they pay George Hamiliton 187 000 euro a year to commentate on football matches that we pay for the flights and hotels wherever Ireland play just to hear him keep saying ‘Danger HERE’ every 5 mins in a match – nobody is looking to poach him away to the UK ? Marrian Finnucane earns 360 000 euro just to do a weekend radio show thats 2 hours max , ya know Turbidy gets almost half a million , D’arcy 450 000 – its reality distortion field out there – they have enjoyed ads and license fee and times are moving on – they really need a serious rethink on how better to structure the public service broadcasting in ireland ( and no repeats from the UK or US does not count – neither is repeating friends 500 times – ) they are sorely lacking fresh thinking that its a hell of a task to over haul – but it would be in everyones interest – the public and the wider staff in RTE ( who are not on hundreds of thousands each ) to build a public service broadcaster for the future – but these tired old arguments and shifting deck chairs approach will not last into the next decade )
I do not think we get value for our money from RTE.
@Paul O’Sullivan: come again?
@Paul O’Sullivan: well let’s do something sign the petition!
http://chng.it/G67D6bG9
How can RTE/Government justify the TV licence?
The UK pay a licence to prop up the BBC, but on the BBC, you get no ads, no sponsored programmes, and a large selection of excellent funded shows on multiple channels.
RTE on the other hand, has the TV licence (revenue) ads every 15 minutes (revenue), programmes sponsored (generally the sponsor covers the cost of the show, so huge revenue) and they only produce a smattering of funded shows. They also can’t seem to get it together to get the rights to show our national football or rugby team.
Channel 6/TV3/Virgin – no revenue from TV licence and yet is doing more than RTE, especially around sport.
I feel the licence isn’t propping up RTE but propping up the enormous salaries of the like of Ryan Tubridy and constant showings of wee Daniel and Nathan on the Late Late Show and TG4
@JC: well let’s do something sign the petition!
http://chng.it/G67D6bG9
@JC: sheer boredom!!!
Another tax .
@Leo Lalor: well let’s do something sign the petition!
http://chng.it/G67D6bG9
We pay our tv licence only because we have to, we don’t watch rte and don’t intend to.
We listen to Newstalk and only watch Sat channels.
RTE is basically biased rubbish.
@tommytukamomo: well let’s do something sign the petition!
http://chng.it/G67D6bG9
@tommytukamomo: You listen to Newstalk and think RTE is biased rubbish???
@Squiddley Diddley: Newstalk is Fine Gael fm. They don’t even hide it. Most of our media including print are biased towards the state and the main political parties.
Nope. No. Nu-uh. Already paying TV license for the privilege to have a TV, I rightfully own, in my living room. I have no boxes (sky, etc) attached and have no channels other than Netflix, which i pay for as well. I have not watched RTE in years. On the rare occasion that they actually had a program worth watching I tried to watch it on the player, which is a dreadful app. Crashes, editing is non-existent, gets stuck on far too may ads that start in mid-sentence of the person talking. Irritating, poor service. I am happy to pay for programs I want to see – assuming they are ad free then. As for the license. Ludicrous money spent for no service as is.
@Mandy Seiler: well let’s do something sign the petition!
http://chng.it/G67D6bG9
@Me_a_monkey: Signed! And shared. Thanks!
I think the TV licence should be scrapped because a lot of people do not watch RTE television. If RTE want more money they should advertise more.
@Marty from Sligo: well let’s do something sign the petition!
http://chng.it/G67D6bG9
Nobody under 35 sits and watches television, it just doesnt happen, now rte want money from the up and coming generations because their viewer base has one foot in the grave, no offense to the oldies here but this is the truth. Rte should be sold and privatised and the license issue is a non starter.
@Thomas L: actually yes they do, quite heavily but they don’t watch the sh!te RTE spits out.
You could probably argue at this stage that the licence is unconstitutional because it’s a subscription to a set of services anyone in the country under 50 rarely use.
@Me_a_monkey: They sit and watch on-demand content on a screen for hours on end, but they don’t watch television.
In saying that I really do believe in having an impartial media source that can’t be bought over by capitalist interests, but it needs to be provided for by the taxes already generated.
@Cynical: usually they watch it on a television from experience. It’s the best way to watch Netflix, amazon prime, sky box sets, virgin on demand, Illegal streaming etc.
RTE is dead, and over the next two generations it will have literally eff all subscribers. Hence why they’re trying to do something with the TV licence.
If they’re successful it wouldn’t surprise me if all the online subscription based providers didn’t start to look for a piece of the pie which based on RTE, they may be entitled to….
@Me_a_monkey: If the new licence fee does go ahead, I hope other providers such as TheJournal.ie do get a piece of the pie. They would be more than entitled to an equal share.
I do suppose you’re right about the term television being the same for the modern audiences even if they are not receiving a transmitted signal.
@Thomas L: do the rte presenters seriously consider themselves talanted
TV licence shouldn’t be there in the first place!
@Marian O Sullivan: well let’s do something sign the petition!
http://chng.it/G67D6bG9
It’s an attempt to get easy cash to pay for the national broadband plan
@Anne Marie Devlin: well let’s do something sign the petition!
http://chng.it/G67D6bG9
Ridiculous. At this stage they’re just taxing everything to the hilt. Also I don’t see how they could possibly enforce this. I think I may just invest in a few dogs and a large gate instead.
@Adam Conroy: well let’s do something sign the petition!
http://chng.it/G67D6bG9
If they wanted to implement this fairly, they could charge people to buy or subscribe to the apps to watch RTE. A lot more easier to do and a lot more fairer, rather than forcing everybody with a device to pay for what is essentially the govs biggest publicity and self promotional asset.
For the service RTE give they are not worth tuppence, no fee at all.
@Eugene Comaskey: well let’s do something sign the petition!
http://chng.it/G67D6bG9
@Eugene Comaskey: rte should look up in the dictionary the words.. Talent.. And creative.. And then see if their output measures up to their findings… They are crying out for new faces.. New ideas.. Especially in drama… Sport.. News presentation.. Light entertainment.. Presenters.. And improving the T in. TH..!!
the licence fee should be scrapped altogether – RTE should have to earn its money through advertising- and maybe if it paid its so called ‘stars’ a bit less they need not be as greedy . most people already use a subscription service for their tv -sky ,netflix, vodafone tv , virgin media – which ever one, as well as paying rental and call charges to the phone companies for broadband etc . everything this government comes up with is another charge or tax – we have little left at the end of the month as it is !
@Eric Davies: so called STARS!!!
Rte is not value for money.
@@mdmak33: well let’s do something sign the petition!
http://chng.it/G67D6bG9
Why should we pay for tubbs salary outdated shows and big wig cronies. Rte should not get the lience fee .it shouldn’t get tax payers money.
Just pull the plug already.
What about other providers
Where is there share ???
@Eddie Mc Keown: well let’s do something sign the petition!
http://chng.it/G67D6bG9
@Eddie Mc Keown: tubs is so really flat.. Surely the ratings have to be fake news.. In ratings certain sets are measured to gauge whom is watching what programs.. Tam ratings.. But somebody watching a program for ten minutes is counted as a view…!!!!
So RTE reckon the output they broadcast is worth more than Netflix or Prime? Somehow I don’t think so – they regurgitate the cheapest thing they can find on the market – they don’t even have a proper news team. I can watch many news channels free via my Apple TV box and with a cheap monthly subscription to Netflix can watch the latest and greatest TV shows and movies from around the world.
Why am I forced to pay for rubbish I do not want or need?
The government should accept that the country neither wants nor can afford RTE, scrap the licence fee and let the service find its own way in the world.
@A J: well let’s do something sign the petition!
http://chng.it/G67D6bG9
@A J: The TV ratings disagree with you.
Proper broadcasting has to be paid for if not you get Sky News or Fox News round the clock, sorry you cannot have it for nuffink so pay up
@Karl Phillips: RTE news can fairly biased as well.
@Karl Phillips: i think people might pay for a licence if salaries for those big wigs in Rte were slashed. Also if there were some decent programs on. I for one dont watch Rte and subscribe to Netflix. I get the news on local radio station and loads of stations on free sat . Enough money has been pumped into that Rte quagmire only for retired Presenters to appear on the screen again.
@Karl Phillips: Proper broadcasting? Jaysus, I’m after spitting my Cornflakes all over the floor bhahahahah
@Mr Bojangles: lol
@Dave Barrett: you do realise that the TV license also provides additional non-commercial funding to local radio stations who would be too small to be otherwise commercially viable?
@Mr Bojangles: Are they Kellogg’s Cornflakes? If not that shouldn’t be a capital c. ; )
@Karl Phillips: Pay up for not using it? Should I pay to keep your car running as well? Numpty
@Darren Byrne: Absolutely Darren, I’m not going to pay my TV license anymore. With the money I’m saving I can afford to bypass Aldi and Lidl products and go for the top brands.
@Vocal Outrage: the stations i listen to fund them selves from goo advertising and dont need funding from license fees
@Dave Barrett: ex news reader!!!
Poll:
Should we have to pay for the tripe on RTÉ?
Yes?
No?
Absolutely Not?
@G.M Lockjoy: well let’s do something sign the petition!
http://chng.it/G67D6bG9
Back to a Nokia 3310 so
@Sean Whelan: ? they already have !
Time for those to move with the times RTE needs to be rebranded and come as subscription. And the licence fees s thing of the past.
Then with normal radio , I am guessing the state still controls the air waves. So each radio station rents the frequency from the state. To cover maintenance costs.
Online radio up to the person whom runs wheather it charges or not.
@Life is short enjoy it: well let’s do something sign the petition!
http://chng.it/G67D6bG9
So are we ready to go out to the streets? People have the power to change legislations. This is very unfair and needs change.
RTE must be telling their employees to vote “Yes”, there is NO WAY that someone would vote “Yes” to this, paying tax to use the internet! That should be a right of the people not a tax.
@Declan Tiberius Kelly: I bet you have a nice tin foil hat.
I only listen to the wireless.
Can I have a wireless only licence please?
Tv licence is a joke. I rang yesterday to say that I am moving out of a rental property back home (to a house with a tv licence already) and could I cancel the dd every month as I don’t need a tv licence now. I was told no I have to keep paying for it until it expires in 2020. Essentially stealing money from me for another year for something I no longer need.. so no scrap it or make them shorter terms I.e. 3 months or 6 months +. Ridiculous carry on
@Lorr: just cancel your DD and there is nothing they can do. Its your money.
No, it should be scrapped altogether..
We don’t need hundreds of small taxes
How many times does RTE need to be told. Well should be able to subscribe BY choice not forced its a dictatorship
FG told us the USC charge was temporary. It’s still they. They did reduce it but looks like they are going to use this as another way to take money off everyone.
Should be paid for with advertising on the channel…. oh wait…
@Anthony Clark: well let’s do something sign the petition!
http://chng.it/G67D6bG9
Ha ha, who watches RTÉ anyway? Fück off!
@Cosmological: well let’s do something sign the petition!
http://chng.it/G67D6bG9
No, put the likes of RTE behind a paywall and people who want it can pay for it. Much smarter!
There’s a lot of people here who claim they never watch anything on RTE.
@Ed: Eh maybe the 200,000 Polish !
@Ed: I don’t watch RTE, I don’t have RTE in my home and I don’t want RTE in my home. Why should I pay for it?
@Laura Clayton: I don’t have any children so why should my taxes be spent on anything child related?
Another tax. Shower of ……..
Useless app , the times I went to watch anything it was painful and full of ads before the program even starts.
But we know that’s not the reason they just want hit the 15% without a tv tax licence.
To be honest it’s an outdated model of revenue collection, although the uk still sells black and white tv licenses ffs
@John Walsh: well let’s do something sign the petition!
http://chng.it/G67D6bG9
I pay Vat on everything so I already pay tax on my phone & Wifi and the Electricity
No
No way. I already to without a TV as can’t afford or want to pay the license, which is my choice, and one I’ve lived with for 17years now but to take my phone away from me too is stupid. Just because I could technically watch TV on the tiny screen, hurting my eyes, giving me headaches, if the signal was strong enough, does not mean I am going to I have my phone to contact people and check emails and the likes f the journal. Beep off if you thinking your charging a TV license for my phone!!!
Also opens a can of worms if you work from home and have a work notebook and phone – who pays?
This may entrap more people into buying licences thus increasing their income. You can also bet there will be a hefty increase in the fee on top of that too.
Wow, 17% of turkeys are voting for Christmas.
IPTV is the future
This pandering to RTE will very much turn into a situation like the demonstration for the water charges . Who cares about RTE spin, with its ongoing biased media output platform . Not many people watch RTE and if the organisation who constantly waste Irish Tax payers money believe in such rubbish, put it up on pay per view and give the Irish people the option to choose, and see what happens . They are still in debt of 18million if not more, even after selling prime land. This ” Gravy train” will soon stop as the Irish people are fed up pumping money into a failed incompetatant not fit for purpose organisation.
Sack the Management now .
Start by cutting your workforce, for instance, why do you need four to six staff lying around drinking coffee prior to reading the news on Morning Ireland. The Management have some cheek fishing constantly for additional funding, how do you think the private TV companies survive and make money . What a sham . I think Leo needs more invitations from RTE than watching only one program, Dancing with the stars final with Dee Forbes for a proper shake down to increase the licence TV fee .This is very much like trying to hide a TV licence increase under a new name called the Broadcasting charge. Irish people will not be conned again.
What is the charge for exactly? Is it a charge to use RTÉ? Or if it a charge to own a device that’s theoretically capable of broadcasting RTÉ? I have no problem with the former. The latter rankles a little though. I don’t really use RTÉ and I’m not sure I understand why my owning a smartphone means I have to send money their way.
Tv licence for phones and laptops!!! Get the f**k.
@Delboy79:
Won’t be as simple as that …
They’ll do it via “sneaky” charges
QUOTE: “For political reasons, the government does not want to be seen as bringing in anything called a ‘household charge’, even if that is essentially what this is.”
.
#WAKETHEPEOPLEUP
That enough people pay tv licence certificate should include PIN number put TV & mobile & tablet all for one €160
@Brian Flavin: why? We already pay a subscription to online services, why should the government be able to cash in again on them when they already charge vat on these services?
RTE is the only thing being funded by the licence fees and it’s tv and radio stations are pure tripe.
Hold up, why are we still paying for rte? They made over 300 million last year from advertising revenue alone. Not for profit my arse.
Why is the tv licence in Uk is for bbc because they have no adds to generate money, but RTÉ have loads of adds and licence? Also don’t watch RTÉ from one end of the year to another, absolute garbage on all them. Only watch sky/Netflix?
It should be scrapped just like RTÉ paying big saleries for clowns
@life
What bs that is ,just go ahead the direct debit.
What are they to do?
The irony of Michael Healy Rae giving out about a new way of collecting an already existing charge on RTÉ with no idea that without public service broadcasting, in the current billionaire controlled media, his opposition views would be plainly ignored. The future without public service news content is currently playing itself out in the US. People can complain about the fee, or it’s collection, but must also think of the implications of getting all their news from private interests, such as Facebook, who’s influence was seen in the Brexit and US elections.
This Government are in a Race to Crucify the elderly, this is a step too far. TOO FECKIN FAR WHILE MONEY IS FIRED LEFT RIGHT AND CENTRE INTO USELESS RTÉ 1, 2, AND TG 4, Amalgamate the lot into ONE.
Close down rte nobody looks at ir its crap
I recently moved into a new house didn’t bother with getting sky or any of the “normal srvices” never watched them in the old house,so i just got Netflix, so Im expected to pay for Miriam o callaghan ridiculous wage to host rubbish shows and ray Darcy for that farce of a saturday night show no chance.
Tom Cruise moving to Fair City
@Paddy O Rourke: another good reason NOT to watch it then !
Make RTE a subscription service, then they will get all the money they are worthy of. Instead of stealing money off of those who have no interest in absolute rubbish they show.
Who are the nearly two thousand godshites who said yes , are they well in the head
The TV license is not only about RTE. All the wailing and nashing of teeth and you dont understand what the damn thing pays for.
@Gary Kearney: it also pays for radio stations but many will argue that they don’t listen to radio either because it is full of ads and someone else’s choice of music only use Spotify. The world has changed.
It also pays for the orchestras, funds specialist radio, performing groups. It’s actually the most erroneously named tax. Basically, it pays for culture.
This system was introduced in Sweden a few years ago, but was overthrown after being challenged in court by a private citizen (with no legal training, I might add!). The licensing authorities had to refund millions to ppl who had been charged and had paid this illicit fee. The same should be done here, not least since Public Service broadcasts in Ireland are commercialized. And, of course, since PS these days have very little of interest to offer it’s public!
Another cooking program, property show or OTT soap, anyone??
I would have no problem with the License fee if RTE upped their output and didn’t bombard us with Repeat programmes.
Can anybody tell me what percentage of RTE Television schedule are Repeats.
Another Fianna gael tax
have your say