Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2019

The Cush

The new Bill is to be published later today, Friday August 2nd, and brought before the Dáil in the autumn.

https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/collection-of-tv-licence-fee-to-be-put-out-to-tender-1.3974617

According to the article, included in the Bill is
- A new tender and 5 year contract for the collection of the TV Licence fee
- After 5 years the TV Licence will be replaced by the device-independent Broadcasting Charge
- supports for independent broadcasters and local community radio
- Review of RTÉ's expenditure on commissioning of external content
- BAI's Broadcasting Levy reduction/exemption and replaced by licence fee funding
- Sound & Vision scheme funding review
- new funding scheme will grant bursaries to journalists in local or community radio stations
- The TV licence can still be purchased through the post office


Also reported here - https://www.rte.ie/news/2019/0802/1066568-rte-tv-licence-fee-reform/

- The free TV licence will continue

The Cush

Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill was published Friday

https://dccae.gov.ie/en-ie/news-and-media/press-releases/Pages/Minister-Bruton-Publishes-Broadcasting-Bill.aspx
https://www.oireachtas.ie/en/bills/bill/2019/64/

Broadcasting (Amendment) Bill 2019

The Broadcasting Amendment Bill has been approved by government and will be presented before the Dáil in the Autumn.

The key provisions of the Bill are:
- To allow the BAI to accrue a level of working capital so that it can meet its day-to-day operational requirements;
- Allow for the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) to be allocated public funding from television licence fee receipts;
- Give greater flexibility to the BAI in granting exemptions and deferrals to the Broadcasting levy
- Allow for the BAI expenses to be part funded (up to 50%) from licence fee receipts;
- Allow for the creation of a new funding scheme that would allow the granting of bursaries to journalists in local or community radio stations.
It is also intended that the Bill will provide for the option to put collection of the licence fee out to public tender and this will be introduced at the Committee stage of the legislative process.

Sound and Vision Scheme

Under section 156 of the Broadcasting Act, 2009, 7% of net TV licence receipts (€14.5m approx.) are allocated to the Broadcasting Fund, from which the Sound and Vision Scheme is funded. This scheme, which is administered by the Broadcasting Authority of Ireland, supports the production of high quality TV and radio programmes on Irish culture, heritage and experience and is accessible by independent producers and commercial broadcasters. Increasing the 7% of licence fee funding would increase support to the independent sector and incentivise the production of desirable public service content across the sector.

Commissioning of External Content by RTE

Section 116 of the Broadcasting Act, 2009 requires that RTE must make available a minimum amount of funding available each year for the commissioning of television and radio programmes. This amount was originally set at €40m with a provision that it would vary in line with the CPI, and in 2018 amounted to €39.7m. Increasing this minimum on a statutory basis would provide an important additional stimulus for the independent production sector.
The review will be carried out over the period of the Department's Statement of Strategy 2019-2021.