Public Service Broadcasting Charge update

7upfree

spank_inferno wrote: »

So that €160 poll tax demand I received in the post was a figment of my imagination..... What with RTE being free and all.

Calling the RTE tax a "tv lisence" is just semantics.
Same way the property tax could be called a "fire-place" tax for all the difference it makes.

Precisely. The ongoing forced funding of an elitist, overpaid, and out of touch relic.

Sam Russell

7upfree wrote: »

As opposed to the "arts" that is Fair City.....or the Brendan O'Connor Show.....or the elitist orchestras?:rolleyes: Also -and this may surprise you - RTE have screened the aforementioned Murder She Wrote, along with other gems, for years. So please - at least do some research, will you?

I know that much of RTE's output is crap - particularly before 6pm. However, all of their output would be crap if there were not a TV licence. Much TV worldwide is derivative rubbish, and much of this stuff emanates from the US, and is offered cheaply to whoever takes it. At least if we fund it here, some of this stuff could be home produced. Just look at the difference between the standards on the UK channels. BBC is miles better than ITV and Ch4, and look at the NI channels. RTE is much better than TV3 - however, that might not last long if RTE's funding contiues to be cut. [By the way, TV3 owes NAMA €160m, €81m of which is parked, interest free, which amounts to a massive subsidy for them from us, the taxpayer!]

spank_inferno

For every good BBC drama I could name a good C4 or ITV drama.

BBC are agressively cutting back on programme budgets as they go through a restructure.

(which is neither here nor there..... But saying the BBC is miles ahead for serious content is not true).

7upfree

Sam Russell wrote: »

I know that much of RTE's output is crap - particularly before 6pm. However, all of their output would be crap if there were not a TV licence. Much TV worldwide is derivative rubbish, and much of this stuff emanates from the US, and is offered cheaply to whoever takes it. At least if we fund it here, some of this stuff could be home produced. Just look at the difference between the standards on the UK channels. BBC is miles better than ITV and Ch4, and look at the NI channels. RTE is much better than TV3 - however, that might not last long if RTE's funding contiues to be cut. [By the way, TV3 owes NAMA €160m, €81m of which is parked, interest free, which amounts to a massive subsidy for them from us, the taxpayer!]

Which is equally bananas! The rules of capitalism appear not to apply in this country. The rules of reality appear not to apply in RTE.

Sam Russell

7upfree wrote: »

Which is equally bananas! The rules of capitalism appear not to apply in this country. The rules of reality appear not to apply in RTE.

Nor in any country. The USA have just raised their borrowing limit again. They owe more than we do. Countries cannot continue to run deficits forever. The current bailouts for countries have to be paid for by someone eventually, probably through inflation.

As for RTE, they apply the reality rules most of the time. Reality TV is cheap, so that's what we get. 2,000 people are employed by RTE, plus all those 'independant' production companies that employ ex-RTE workers, and get paid through the TV licence fee.

7upfree

Sam Russell wrote: »

Nor in any country. The USA have just raised their borrowing limit again. They owe more than we do. Countries cannot continue to run deficits forever. The current bailouts for countries have to be paid for by someone eventually, probably through inflation.

As for RTE, they apply the reality rules most of the time. Reality TV is cheap, so that's what we get. 2,000 people are employed by RTE, plus all those 'independant' production companies that employ ex-RTE workers, and get paid through the TV licence fee.

Yes, and the entire charade runs at a massive loss. As I said, out of touch and detached from reality. Why do we need orchestras, choirs, etc? Seriously?

Sam Russell

7upfree wrote: »

Why do we need orchestras, choirs, etc? Seriously?

Even cavemen needed to paint pictures on the walls. The pre-history people built Newgrange to bury a few important people. So, yes, we need orchestras, choirs, and art galleries.

What we do not need is ministerial cars, expensive international trips abroad at great expense to the taxpayer, or high salaries to the drones that run our Civil Service.

7upfree

Sam Russell wrote: »

Even cavemen needed to paint pictures on the walls. The pre-history people built Newgrange to bury a few important people. So, yes, we need orchestras, choirs, and art galleries.

Emmm. no we don't actually. These orcestras merely regurgitate what is already there. Elitism at its worst.

Sam Russell wrote: »

What we do not need is ministerial cars, expensive international trips abroad at great expense to the taxpayer, or high salaries to the drones that run our Civil Service.

You won't get any argument from me on that score.:)

Capt'n Midnight

spank_inferno wrote: »

For every good BBC drama I could name a good C4 or ITV drama.

BBC are agressively cutting back on programme budgets as they go through a restructure.

(which is neither here nor there..... But saying the BBC is miles ahead for serious content is not true).

or perhaps they have to raise their game to compete with the BBC

but we aren't talking about stuff you can buy in boxsets because that stuff pays for itself. Channel 5 in the UK are showing Love Hate.


For serious content it's more like The South Bank Show vs. BBC4

Kids get their accent in part from TV, the license fee means that it's not all Japanese cartoons dubbed in American

The Cush

An article in today's Sunday Independent by Fionnan Sheehan speculates that the Revenue Commissioners could be given responsibility for the collection of the new Public Service Broadcasting Charge and other charges such as HSE charges, commercial rates, local government charges and court fines.

The revamped TV licence is the next big item in the pipeline where Revenue's expertise may yet be called upon.

Similar to the household charge, there is a high level of evasion with the TV licence in its current format.

Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte is due to announce details of the new broadcasting charge in the coming months.

The consultation document on the broadcasting charge refers merely to a collection agent.

But with one in five households not having a TV licence, there is an obvious problem with enforcement, which will be addressed.

"Minister Rabbitte appears to want them [Revenue] to collect the new version of the TV licence," a government source said.

http://www.independent.ie/irish-news/revenues-powers-to-be-extended-29779381.html

Capt'n Midnight

What ?

Why do we need to setup yet another mechanism to collect what is effect a universal charge.

The vast majority of houses will soon be getting separate bills for
- water
- electric standing charge
- property tax
- TV charge

not everyone has gas and you could possible get away with bin charges by bringing stuff to a dump

I've no problem with TV license going on another bill , as long as they reduce the price by the amount AnPost used to get for collecting it, and reduce it by the % of licenses that AnPost didn't collect. If the extra revenue from collected goes into a private company or makey-up government body then it's greasing palms for the sake of it :mad:

Sam Russell

Capt'n Midnight wrote: »

What ?

Why do we need to setup yet another mechanism to collect what is effect a universal charge.

The vast majority of houses will soon be getting separate bills for
- water
- electric standing charge
- property tax
- TV charge

not everyone has gas and you could possible get away with bin charges by bringing stuff to a dump

I've no problem with TV license going on another bill , as long as they reduce the price by the amount AnPost used to get for collecting it, and reduce it by the % of licenses that AnPost didn't collect. If the extra revenue from collected goes into a private company or makey-up government body then it's greasing palms for the sake of it :mad:

Exactly. We have a (nearly) universal charge for electricity. Simply add the new charge as a standing charge on electricty bills (it would all go to ESB Networks) and would cost nothing more to collect. A €10 charge per month would cost €120 per year. If 20% of current households do not pay, that would be equivalent to €150 per year, and if An Post got 5%, then it is equivalent to €157.90. The loss of €2.10 per year could be covered by the lack of court time persecuting non-payers. Win, win, win.

Of coulse a smalll tax on text messages, or on broadband connections would raise more than the shortfall, and justify the 'broadcasting' element of the charge.

The Cush

Josephine Feehily, chairman of the Revenue Commissioners, was on Wed's Morning Ireland discussing Revenue's results for 2013 .

The issue of them collecting the Public Service Broadcasting Charge was raised during the discussion.

http://www.rte.ie/news/morningireland/player.html?20140108,20500983,20500983,flash,232 - discussion on this starts at 3:14 mins in.

7upfree

The Cush wrote: »

Josephine Feehily, chairman of the Revenue Commissioners, was on Wed's Morning Ireland discussing Revenue's results for 2013 .

The issue of them collecting the Public Service Broadcasting Charge was raised during the discussion.

http://www.rte.ie/news/morningireland/player.html?20140108,20500983,20500983,flash,232 - discussion on this starts at 3:14 mins in.

What next for Revenue...............................................