TV Licence

Neil_Sedaka · 02-09-2002 7:29pm #1

Just got my renewal letter for my T.V. licence, should I pay it??????????????????????????????

BKtje · 02-09-2002 10:01pm

errrr i imagine thats up to you.
If you dont however they could send someone to your house as almost every household in ireland has a tv.
I dont know if they do it tho. never tempted fate.

Quick Question tho: How many tv's does ur tv licences cover?
NTL just installed a new tv port in the house here and we were gonna stick another TV in. Does that mean i have to pay double my licence or does the one cover the whole household?

Mossy Monk · 02-09-2002 10:43pm

1 per household AFAIK

the celtic tiger · 03-09-2002 2:10pm

i was under the impression it was one per telly.

JustHalf · 03-09-2002 2:34pm

It's one per telly only if you wish to view only colour or black-and-white TV programs. If you wish to watch both, you must purchase two per television.

Neil_Sedaka · 03-09-2002 2:43pm

It's one per household regardless of how many sets, though you need a second licence if you have a t.v. in say a holiday home etc.

Venom · 03-09-2002 3:18pm

It's one licience per home no-matter how many TV set's are in the above mentioned home.

As for not paying it well thats up to you, but you have already been caught in a sense as once you buy/get a TV licience they swine's then know about you and you go on file. Then it's so simple for them to run a check per day to see who's licience renewal dates are up and then they can get you for not having a TV licience.

Moral of the story is never get a TV licience but once you do never forget to get it renewed.

davros · 04-09-2002 1:25pm

Originally posted by Venom
Moral of the story is never get a TV licience but once you do never forget to get it renewed.

I think that when a shop sells a TV in this country they are legally obliged to send the buyer's details to the Dept. of Comms (or other official body).

So you are in the system whether you buy a licence or not.

Venom · 04-09-2002 2:14pm

I think that when a shop sells a TV in this country they are legally obliged to send the buyer's details to the Dept. of Comms (or other official body).

I call shenanigan's on this post.

Not only do I not belive that any shop will go to the extra bother of sending anything to any government body that they dont have to due to amount of red tape these various bodies tend to insist on. I have also never once been asked for my home address when buying a TV from shops such as Peats,Sony centres and Brown Thomas's.

Also I have friend's who have worked in Peats and shops of that ilk and never once did they mention this so called fact to me and these are the people who agree with the statement of never buying a TV licience due to then going on the register.

Thanx 4 The Fish · 04-09-2002 2:29pm

You must have one Tv license per television that you own, be they all in your house or, in a different house or wherever.

It would be pretty tough to get the name and address from everybody who bought a TV if they did not want to give it. I bought a TV recently, paid cash and there was no other record of the transaction, barring my receipt. Nobody asked me my name, address or PPS number. So you are not in the system if you like it or not. :rolleyes:

DMC · 04-09-2002 3:07pm

*sigh*

One TV Licence per household, regardless of how many TV's contained therein.

byte · 04-09-2002 11:50pm

Who needs a TV Licence?

Every Household or business or institution which has equipment capable of receiving a television signal must, by law, be in possession of a current TV licence.

If you have a second home, e.g. a holiday home or an appartment, where you keep a television, then you need a separate TV Licence for that address.

BKtje · 05-09-2002 5:06am

The above RTE.ie licence isnt very clear about the whole 2 tv issue.
I guess they thought every 1 would only get one tv.

It puts me under the impression one per house as was stated but a few peeps above. Wont be getting another so.

DMC · 05-09-2002 7:42am

Its as clear as a bell!

http://www.rte.ie/about/organisation/tvlicence.html

Each household with a TV must have a licence. It doesnt matter how many TV's you've got in there, as long as your address is on the An Post list of licence fee payers, the detector van will be able to pick up if you have a TV inside a house that is not paying a licence.

What it means by "has equipment capable of receiving a television signal " means also a video. A video has a TV tuner inside, yet I dont see a mention of a VCR licence, do you?

One interesting fact is that if you have a black and white TV and a video, you must pay for a colour TV licence, as videos only come with colour TV tuners.

davros · 05-09-2002 9:01am

Originally posted by Venom
I call shenanigan's on this post.

The whole licence system is shenanigans but I did not invent the requirement on TV sellers. However this particular law might have fallen into disuse or been amended by susbsequent legislation (I do not fancy a trawl through the statute books to check).

Here are the relevant sections from the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1972:

3.—(1) Subject to subsections (2) and (3) of this section, every registered dealer required to give a notice under section 2 of this Act who after the expiration of the period within which he is required to give that notice—

( a ) sells a television set by wholesale or by retail;
( b ) lets a television set on a hire contract or on a hire-purchase agreement; or
( c ) arranges for a television set to be sold or let as aforesaid to any person by another television dealer,
shall, in relation to that sale or letting, give to the Minister a notice containing the particulars specified in Part I of the Schedule to this Act and make a record of the particulars specified in that Part, and the particulars shall be given to the Minister not later than—

(i) in case a time is specified in the said Schedule in relation to the particulars, that time, and
(ii) in any other case, the last day of the month which follows the month during which the sale or letting was made.

PART I

Particulars to be notified and recorded pursuant to section 3 (1).

1. The date of the sale or letting.

2. The name and address of the buyer or hirer.

3. The make and type of television set and in particular whether it is (a) designed for reception in colour, and (b) portable.

4. In the case of a sale, whether the price is payable by instalments and, in the case of a letting, whether it is a letting on hire or hire-purchase.

5. In the case of a credit sale or a letting, the name and address of the seller or owner and the name and address of any person who is to receive any payment or instalment of or towards the price or by way of rent in respect of the credit sale or the letting.

6. If the set has been or is to be installed by the registered dealer or another person to his order, the address of the premises at which it has been or is to be installed and the name of the occupier (if known) of those premises.

Within 30 days of the knowledge coming to the information of the registered dealer concerned.

7. In case the dealer is himself the seller or owner or such payments or instalments are to be received by the dealer or collected by him on behalf of the seller or owner, any change in the address of the buyer or hirer.

8. If after the date of the sale or letting any payments of or towards the price or by way of rent in respect of the sale or letting which would otherwise be received or collected by the dealer are to be received or collected by another person, the name and address of of that other person.

The_Conductor · 05-09-2002 9:17am

Go-on, pay the TV licence. Its only half what they have to pay in the UK. If you don't we'll all end up with more TV3 crap.

Thanx 4 The Fish · 05-09-2002 9:19am

Originally posted by DamoDMC
*sigh*

One TV Licence per household, regardless of how many TV's contained therein.

This is contrary to the information I received when I was speaking to the gentleman in An Post about this subject yesterday. Sigh away pal, but if the guys who are selling them do not know what's going on then how can anybody else be expected to ?

DMC · 05-09-2002 10:12am

I afraid he is wrong, definitely misinformed.

RTÉ get the money at the end of the day, An Post merely collect it. I remember in the 80's when we did get a TV for the kitchen, we asked our local TV dealer and postmaster. Otherwise, we would never have got another one. Now we have 4.

As for the person not knowing what they are selling, its all too common place. Have you ever bought a product from a certain telephone service provider??

Elmo · 06-09-2002 11:10pm

An Post get 8 or 10% of it for the collection. It's the highest amount of a licence fee that a collector gets for collecting the licence fee in Europe.

If you have a hand held TV do you need a TV licence?

irishguy · 07-09-2002 3:19pm

i am nearly sure it is one per tv,but if u have one you can allways say u dont have other televisions

.its like a gun lisence u need 1 per gun,but it would make more sense to have 1 tv lisence per household so i am confused

The_Conductor · 07-09-2002 7:02pm

I have a colleague in another Department who is a television licence inspector. He assures me its one per set.

sceptre · 07-09-2002 11:00pm

Originally posted by smccarrick
I have a colleague in another Department who is a television licence inspector. He assures me its one per set.

Well, he's wrong. Here's why:

The relevant provision governing the granting and holding of licences to own and operate a television is section 5 of the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1926.

Under section 5, on payment of the relevant fee (if any:D), the person is granted a licence by the Minister to keep and possess apparatus for wireless telegraphy in any specified place in Ireland (the section also makes provision for ships - this has been amended up to 1990 to make provision for cars)

"Apparatus for wireless telegraphy" also includes radios and even a TV aeriel. Hence a person with an aeriel in their house but no TV techically needs a licence to keep and possess that apparatus, even if possession of that apparatus on its own is not enough to actually receive and view a signal.

Under section 2:
"the expression "wireless telegraphy" means and includes any system of communicating messages, spoken words, music, images, pictures, prints, or other communications, sounds, signs, or signals by means of radiated electro-magnetic waves originating in an apparatus or device constructed for the purpose of originating such communications, sounds, signs, or signals;"

"the expression "apparatus for wireless telegraphy" means apparatus for sending and receiving or for sending only or for receiving only messages, spoken words, music, images, pictures, prints, or other communications, sounds, signs, or signals by wireless telegraphy and includes any part of such apparatus and any article primarily designed for use as part of such apparatus and not capable of being conveniently used for any other purpose;"

Nice and simple:

A licence is granted to a particular person to keep and possess an apparatus (TV in this case) for receiving or sending (or either) signals in a particular location. It is not a licence to operate a particular television. The word "each" appears in none of the acts or any of the Broadcasting Acts - it's merely a licence to have the equipment (again, not a particular television). It's not a licence to use; hence you don't need a seperate licence for each person who views it - it's merely a licence to have it. The Act gives the Minister power to make statutory instruments setting out which licences are needed for what and the right to set the fees. The Minister, however, doesn't have the power to make an SI requiring a licence for each TV as it isn't allowed under the Act.

Hence:
One address (household etc) - any number of TVs - one licence.

QED

Let's stop the "oooh, but I heard..." discussion now. Anyone can make up the story as they go along but the law is there in black and white.

Winters · 07-09-2002 11:29pm

Here is a great question.

If i buy a television and only use it to play DVDs on... Dont have it plugged into a ariel or anything. Do i still have to pay a tv licence?
I was under the impression the TV licence only really applied to people watching television as such and not dvd's... i might be wrong.

Stephen · 07-09-2002 11:43pm

Yeah you do, as the TV is still capable of receiving a TV signal.

irishguy · 08-09-2002 11:51am

ok i am going to agree with sceptre his argument sounds pretty solid,but if the inspector comes around looking for 2 tv lisences i be after you

byte · 09-09-2002 11:10pm

The inspectors would have an impossible job going to all homes to see how many TV's are in each household! Would be very busy! Especially as a lot of households now have more than 1 TV set.

oneweb · 12-09-2002 3:03am

Originally posted by smccarrick
If you don't we'll all end up with more TV3 crap.

Sorry smc, but I think credit has to go where credit's due. TV3 do a very good (albeit not perfect) job of what they do for the money they get. The only source, as an independent company, of funding that they get is through advertisements and sponsorship (explains the duration of the things).

TV3 don't get government funds.
TV3 don't get any of the public's TV license fee.

RTE gets government funds,
RTE gets most of the public's license fee (I read something lately that made me laugh - something along the lines of 'If they can't get an increase in the license fee, the quality of programming would suffer') Funny, I don't get how something could lose quality if it never had it in the first place.
AND THEN! RTE gets funding through advertising on top.

In another comparison, although the UK TV license fee is more than here (£112 ~ €178 as today) (Irish is currently €107), the Beeb runs off that WITHOUT any advertisements, yet maintains a high standard of broadcasting.

I think I've made my point that TV3 shouldn't really be slammed for the service they're trying to provide with the resources they have.

Nope, I neither work for, endorse nor sleep with any of the companies or even the sector concerned!

DMC · 12-09-2002 11:17am

Originally posted by oneweb
In another comparison, although the UK TV license fee is more than here (£112 ~ €178 as today) (Irish is currently €107), the Beeb runs off that WITHOUT any advertisements, yet maintains a high standard of broadcasting.

Not a fair comparison. The UK fee is more here, but there are more people paying it! 60 million possible payees versus 3.5 million.

The BBC can run without ads because it has a high licence fee with higher amounts of people paying it. The TV licence only make up around 40% of RTÉ's total income, the rest advertising.

You are not comparing like with like.

And on TV3, their way of getting the home-produced quota each day is running the god-awful Ireland AM. If TV3 could produce one quality home produced programme, I would applaud them, and in a week off 4 years on the air, they have have not. Remember Twink's dating show and the sports quiz with not one clip??? Dear oh dear...

And I'm not a raving fan of RTÉ either.........

Silencer · 12-09-2002 12:49pm

The concept of a licence for owning a TV is pathetic, however it's the law. We must abide by it or be shunned by society. But we don't have to like it.

The method of checking who has a licence is based on wether or not a licence is recorded at an address. If there is no record it is assumed that an unlicenced set it at the address and an inspector is sent out. Surely this is guilty until proven innocent?

Personally I got my licence using 1 Princes St, Dublin 1 as the address. Nobody in the post office realized that is also on of the official addresses of the GPO. The GPO is actually on 3 streets for you non Dubs out there. You could always say that you are a traveller and have no fixed abode. That really fcuks them up!!!

By the way I really enjoyed showing my licence to the TV inspector when he called. His face was worth it.

Elmo · 12-09-2002 3:58pm

TV3 do a very good (albeit not perfect) job of what they do for the money they get. The only source, as an independent company, of funding that they get is through advertisements and sponsorship (explains the duration of the things).

Emmm TG4 has less money and actually makes Irish Programming for Irish People because "It's What we Want". Oh and its been on for 6 years. they had more irish programming in its First year the ITV Ireland ever had.

But then a inferior ITV is relly what we want. (God an inferior ITV, image that)

Krusty_Clown · 12-09-2002 6:03pm

quote (Silencer):

Personally I got my licence using 1 Princes St, Dublin 1 as the address.

Silencer, I hope you live in the GPO (or one of those three streets it covers) as the license only covers TVs at the address listed on the license itself..

From RTEs license website:
If your address is not that which appears on the licence then you are deemed to be unlicenced and may be liable to prosecution.

I'd like to have seen the TV Inspector's face when you showed him the license too.

oneweb · 12-09-2002 6:51pm

Originally posted by Elmo

Emmm TG4 has less money and actually makes Irish Programming for Irish People because "It's What we Want". Oh and its been on for 6 years. they had more irish programming in its First year the ITV Ireland ever had.

TG4 isn't independent. It's run and funded by RTE. But in fairness it does have some quality efforts.

Regarding the BBC, I do admit it's not a fair comparison, but they do manage to regionalise content exceptionally well.

Elmo · 13-09-2002 12:03am

No TG4 is not indep. however it does not have Granda and Canwest (Two of the biggest tv companies in the world) behind it.

It gets €6,000,000 in free programming from RTE which amounts to the news and current affairs, and €20,000,000 from the exchequer. And of course there is the tiny amount of advertising revenue. Yes TG4 has plenty yet so little.

TV3 will at the end of the day wish to make profits thus it will never have a long running drama serial or irish sports which are played in Ireland, except for as live. (as spending money on cameras etc. is way too expensive, thus lets do a deal with sky).

sceptre · 13-09-2002 9:55pm

Originally posted by Elmo
No TG4 is not indep. however it does not have Granda and Canwest (Two of the biggest tv companies in the world) behind it.

TV3 surely?

DapperGent · 13-09-2002 10:13pm

Originally posted by sceptre

TV3 surely?

Yeah thats right. I think TV3 is owned by granada, thats why they get one of Eastenders/Coronation St. (not sure which) now instead of RTE.

It's also how they can afford to have their (truly awful) Champions League coverage cos Granada do a bulk negotiation for Ireland and Britain for ITV and TV3 (and others probably) and cut RTE out of it.

Interesting story (perhaps).
With in about 6 months of each other RTE and TV3 both came in to film my work place. RTE came in with a presenter, a director, a producer and 5 lads do camera work and lighting. They took all day including a generous elevens and lunch.

TV3 came in with a presenter and a cameraman (who shockingly dirtied his hands to do lighting) and were done in a couple of hours.

Cork · 14-09-2002 8:51pm

And on TV3, their way of getting the home-produced quota each day is running the god-awful Ireland AM. If TV3 could produce one quality home produced programme, I would applaud them, and in a week off 4 years on the air, they have have not. Remember Twink's dating show and the sports quiz with not one clip??? Dear oh dear...

How much do you pay for TV3?

Rember Gerry Ryans TV programmes?
Remember Colm Meaneys Famine Drama?
Remember Breda O Donoughues Dating Programme?
Remember the Cassidys?
Remember Home Ground?

TV3 is not perfect but "Agenda" is much better than "Prime Time".

"Prime Time" is often talking heads

Elmo · 15-09-2002 2:08am

Rember Gerry Ryans TV programmes?
Remember Colm Meaneys Famine Drama?
Remember Breda O Donoughues Dating Programme?
Remember the Cassidys?
Remember Home Ground?

Yeah Did TV3 make these programmes? Eh No.

But did TV3 make

The Family
Batchlores Walk
Rodge And Podge
Apres Match
Falling for a dancer etc etc.

Oh and cork Colm Meaneys Famine Drama was based in New Foundland and a Canadian Company paid for most of it.

Also Do you remember

Speak Easy
Twinks Dating Show
Their sports Quiz
3 Screen
Ireland AM

Give up on Adgenda TV3 dont make it and its not prime time tv, and its not on at the moment.

Do you all know that each TV chan makes more crap then good quality tv. it is about 80:20 ratio. Good:Bad

BBC

Would like to meet
Robot Wars etc

ITV

Britains Sexiest
Youve been framed etc

C4

Big Brother
Brookside etc

Sky

Fear Factor
Temptation Island (etc etc etc)

The reason that we give out about Irish TV is that not enough is made thus we see more bad stuff because we are on the look out for new Irish Shows which make be good but will (more the lightly) be crap due to this ratio which is very high.

On the buget that RTE have they do an OK Job it could be better

On the buget that TV3 have they are ****

On the Buget that TG4 have How the **** do they make so many tv shows?

15-09-2002 3:15pm

Originally posted by Elmo
TV3 will at the end of the day wish to make profits thus it will never have a long running drama serial or irish sports which are played in Ireland, except for as live. (as spending money on cameras etc. is way too expensive, thus lets do a deal with sky).

Surely thats an indictment against the viewership in this democracy? and not TV3's fault.
Lowest common denominator television generally getting in more cost effective audiences and advertising income.
I think we are very lucky in ROI actually as some of the stuff regarded by many as low quality on the likes of TV3 would be heaven compared to what other foreign broadcasters offer.
mm

oneweb · 16-09-2002 8:20pm

White background. Floaty granny smith. Scenes of Fair City within.

"For twenty nine cent a day, you can get the full story"

Grate. Just whot oi wontid. :rolleyes:

If there was a particular reason NOT to pay the fee...

(edited to include rolleyes)

Elmo · 17-09-2002 5:14pm

Lowest common denominator television generally getting in more cost effective audiences and advertising income

I have no problem with this however TV3 don't even make these kind of shows. They just buy them in on the cheap. So while yes it is an "inictment" of audiences, it is much more so of the foreign crap that they watch rather then the Irish crap with is usually better the then foreign crap.

By the way Fair City cost €65,000 per episode to make it gets on average 500,000 viewers each week which is about 20% share of the audience. Any TV company that can do that is amazing. Also Fair City is crap but it is only a Soap opera most of which are crap. I.e Fair City does exactly what it say on the tin as does Coronation Street and EastEnders.

Neil_Sedaka · 18-09-2002 12:42am

Cheers everybody, I paid it.
So my next question is..............am I insane for paying my TV licence??????????????????????

alir123 · 28-05-2003 7:52pm

Originally posted by Neil_Sedaka
Cheers everybody, I paid it.
So my next question is..............am I insane for paying my TV licence??????????????????????

I just paid my tv licence after getting away with it for 5 yrs. (I lived in different flats) and I think I was insane. The crap thats on tv lately....unbelieveable. I just paid it so that herself can watch Cornation St & Eastenders....thats it. I luv movies but come on. Effectively I paid 150euros for films like "The Specialist", "The Rock" is on tonite, old reruns. I'm not expecting cinema release ok

I was going to buy a tv card for my computer....and before anyone says that the inspector van can detect this also, i dont think so. I think they can detect if u have a tv by detecting something in the cathode tube (like gas). But I have a flat screen monitor....but thats it..its the law & we just have to except it like taxing your car on our ****ty roads:mad:

Elmo · 29-05-2003 1:48am

Yes movies i.e network TV Priemers are not on very often.

The Insider is on on Monday
and Galaxy Quest is on Thursday 29th may.

But then PBS isn't about Network TV preimers is it.

Also the Licence pays for other things as well.

I just paid it so that herself can watch Cornation St & Eastenders....thats it.

you just pay your cable so you could do the same thing.

de5p0i1er · 29-05-2003 9:52am

its not fare that we have to pay the government to own something that we pay for and get have to pay vat on the purchase, mabye if the government trimed the fat from RTE there would be no need to pay a licence as the company is top heavy just like every other semi-state body full of politicans friends who do nothing but draw huge salerys at our expence. Now days most people have a stalite dish or cable and get alot more value for there money, even if it does cost more. :mad:

Ludo · 29-05-2003 10:31am

Originally posted by Venom
It's one licience per home no-matter how many TV set's are in the above mentioned home.

As for not paying it well thats up to you, but you have already been caught in a sense as once you buy/get a TV licience they swine's then know about you and you go on file. Then it's so simple for them to run a check per day to see who's licience renewal dates are up and then they can get you for not having a TV licience.

Moral of the story is never get a TV licience but once you do never forget to get it renewed.

It's definitely ONE licence per household.
Also, your "moral of the story" is incorrect. An Post have a list of every address in the country...they have list of every address with a licence attached...simple to figure out which addresses have no licence and send someone around to knock on the door. I know a guy who works in an post and he used to do it before. Before he left work in the evening he would be supplied with a list of addresses that DONT have a licence so he could call to them in the eveing and get them for it.

Fence · 29-05-2003 4:50pm

Originally posted by Neil_Sedaka
Cheers everybody, I paid it.
So my next question is..............am I insane for paying my TV licence??????????????????????

I don't think so

I think the licence is quite reasonable, at the moment. I mean people are more than happy, it seems to me, to pay for Sky etc yet mumble about paying for RTE, after all they do get plenty of shows before Sky or C4 etc, (friends, 24, ER).

As for TV3, s'okay. Agenda can be very interesting, but only thing I really watch on it is Charmed (which I really shouldn't I know) and episodes of buffy that I've already seen on Sky.

TG4 do have some great, and strange programmes on. Don't watch them regularly, but they are a good alternative option IMO.

Cya
Fence

daveg · 29-05-2003 4:53pm

I too have just paid my TV licence. Do you know what pisses me off the most. I have RTE on sky. so now I pay for the family package to recieve RTE on the sky platform (of which RTE get a cut) and then I have to pay the (inflated) TV licence fee :mad:

Elmo · 30-05-2003 2:08am

so now I pay for the family package to recieve RTE on the sky platform (of which RTE get a cut)

When did this happen? I don't think rte get a cut of sky's fee. Unlikely as that would mean that TG4 and TV3 would also have to get a cut of the fee which i am sure that they don't.

I think the deal that RTE, TG4 and TV3 have with sky is that they get on the family pack without having to pay to be there.

The_Conductor · 30-05-2003 6:50am

They would normally have to pay for the privelege of using the Sky platform, and quite a sizeable sum too. Thats wht Greg Dyke of the BBC decided to tell Sky to sod off and is putting the 9 BBC channels on freeview. It is thought the RTE et al. are going to follow suit with the BBC (numerous press articles on it over the last few weeks, and a very good pressay on electricnews.

S.

TV Licence

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