Dee Forbes banging the RTE TV licence drum again 60m uncollected fee *poll not working - pl ignore*

According to this the licence fee has only got a temporary stay of execution and will be phased out within five years in favour of full exchequer funding. Is this what other media coverage is saying?

It's a strange move politically though. If you'ver determined the licence fee has to go eventually why not do it right away, settle the issue, get it off the political agenda rather than have it hanging over the next government, which is looking increasingly likely to be FFG again in some form…

This would be a very strange move. The TV licence is much like a bill, you pay it not your landlord, its not like the property tax. Were is the legislation for this?

I FoI'd An Post a few years ago to find out the number of commerical providers paying their licence fee and the numbers that have been taken to court for failure to pay, and the number that have been find and the numbers that have had reminder letters sent to them. Happy to let you get guess what they came back with.

The idea of adding businesses to the licence fee not so long ago was to increase the amount going to the national broadcaster. This was never reviewed.

An now leave poor RTÉ alone, they've a whole month in Paris, hard work.

Oh look July 29th see 1pm, 6.1 and 9 news go on the bus mans holiday.

Good Morning also : -

Sometimes nice to keep odd quirks going for no reason.

Amazing reports tonight about this 725 million euro bailout for RTE in the next 3 years.

I suspect this will get buried in the RTE obsession with American politics and they've good reason to distract the public at the moment.

Wow…

"A proposal for RTÉ to get public funding of €725 million over the next three years is to go to Cabinet tomorrow."

This is on the level of the new Children's hospital funding!!! almost 1 billion Euro for what!!

We could build a full second hospital even at the current cost in another 9 years!!

"The three coalition party leaders met tonight to sign off on the proposals.

The TV licence fee will remain at its current rate of €160 per year.

An Post will retain the contract to collect the charge.

However, An Post will be given €6m in funding over three years to improve collection rates by updating technology and databases."

Is this 6M extra or what do they normally get? Another 6M to quash the protest from ordinary people.

Seriously thinking or ditching my lovely OLED TV (Black Friday deal, and using 99% for streaming/Bluray) and going to a projector or some other not terrestrial receiving monitor of some sort??

There has to be a typo in that amount €725 million ???

Surely it should be €275

Which is still Crazy money!

A proposal for RTÉ to get public funding of €725 million over the next three years is to go to Cabinet tomorrow.

This figure includes paid-for TV licences, free TV licences and an Exchequer funding top up to bring it to the agreed level.

The exact amount of Exchequer funding will depend on the amount collected in TV licence revenue.

The three coalition party leaders met tonight to sign off on the proposals.

Outrageous amount of money.

That's €5million a week, is there some major infrastructure build needed or where is the money going? Surely they can't be needing that amount for day to day running costs. Remember them getting €107.5 million in 2017 for the land sale to Cairn Homes, where did that go?

Top brass are all connected to government, wasn't Dee a friend of Leo and no dought Simon after all his brother walked out with a nice chunk of money after costing 2 millions worth of dept .

Once they keep the government narrative they will recieve all the handouts they need

How are the Government not getting in the auditors to comb through RTE’s books?

I get that it’s a tricky subject before a general election but what’s the long term plan because it’s a basket case as is…

So basically no different to how it was before.

Well that was a valuable use of time wasn't it?

Fergal Bowers is over in the US covering the US election. Its not until November 5th. So, 104 days from now, lets give him 2 days to recover after it before he flies home.

(Very, very conservative estimates)

106 days * hotel room ~$150 a night

A per diem of $150 a day

Is $31,800 as well as his usual salary.

I work for a multi billion dollar company and I have to beg to travel to a foreign europe based office for a week. Any longer would need senior management approval. We have shareholders if we run out of money to explain to. RTE just goes back to the dail, cap in hand.

Have to hand it to the Government on this, seen the backlash and lies from RTE & public and thought what better way to fix RTE than giving them even more money that will be wasted in the following years.

RTE should be like Sky Sports, if you want it then you pay for it otherwise leave the public fund alone

What I don't understand is why the Oireachtas don't drag in the RTE board and the DG again and go through the fcuking RTE1 TV guide for today or any other day and ask they need so much money when a large majority of programme are Foreign?

I would think ( And I could be stupid) that what we are paying to RTE, they are then paying Foreign countries for licences to broadcast this programming.

So the cash for a majority of the programmes is leaving the country.

The idea that this money is contingent on RTE carrying out items on an action plan is laughable. They need the cash. They get the cash. Otherwise another funding crisis rears it's head and the whole sorry saga is in the spotlight yet again, something no government wants.

Government coffers are groaning. Pay them and make it go away. Was it every going to be any other outcome?

I agree here

If I don't pay my TV licence, they will take it from me through tax anyway

If I do pay my TV licence, they will still take it from me in tax again!!

Does anyone have a contact in Groupon or similar site. If they get cheap energy prices, and Spa days, could they not organise a mass professional TV (without Ariel input) so if we buy 1000s of TVs we'll get a good discount.

55 inch 4k should suit most people?

But I guess if we do this the tax is going up but at least it's just a once of cost.

Reports today suggest that Dublin Airport are about to enter an agreement with RTE to lease the car park at Montrose until September in an attempt to alleviate high demand for parking at Dublin Airport.

A spokesman is reported to have said that Montrose is like a ghost town from June to September and the first 1000 bookings will get 2 free pairs of flip flops and a €20 discount on the TV licence.

😉

Probably sounded funny in your head.