TV licence income falls almost €900,000 last week compared to 2022

Television licence fee income dropped by almost €900,000 last week compared to the same week last year as the crisis over RTÉ's funding continues, new figures show.

According to data released on Wednesday by the Department of Arts and Media, TV licence sales for the second week of August were 7,166 compared to 12,610 for the corresponding week in 2022.

This equates to a drop in income of €871,040, with 5,444 fewer payers of the €160 licence fee than the same week last year.

The latest decline comes against a fall of €2.7 million in July, and more than €900,000 in the first week in August.

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Not all the licence fee income goes to RTÉ, but the majority does, and the shortfall in licence fee income presents a medium-term challenge to the broadcaster – which is still dealing with the fallout from the controversy over undisclosed payments to star presenter Ryan Tubridy.

Last week, RTÉ director general Kevin Bakhurst said the licence income shortfall did not represent a threat to the broadcaster’s viability, and that RTÉ was not going to run out of cash this year or next.

However, he did say it could impact on investment, stalling decisions on the company’s digital platform and other parts of his planned transformation of RTÉ. “What it might affect is investment decisions in digital and in transforming the organisation ... some of them may have to be delayed until we have a little bit more certainty about funding.”

[ RTÉ's lost TV licence fee income: What would its €3.2m share have paid for? ]

Mr Bakhurst emphasised the need for action from the Government on a long-term plan for the funding of RTÉ and licence fee reform, but he said it would not be appropriate to hold substantive discussions in the coming months.

A new Grant Thornton report looking into how RTÉ underdeclared Mr Tubridy’s pay by €120,000 between 2017 and 2019 is due to be published this morning.

Deloitte, the broadcaster’s auditor, has been drawn into the controversy ahead of the report’s publication.

The report, which is being examined by the RTÉ board, is understood to set out that the misleading figures on pay RTÉ published in 2021 were different from the correct figures recorded on RTÉ's payroll systems.

This reflected a decision to not include a total of €120,000 from Mr Tubridy’s declared earnings after he waived a €120,000 termination fee due in 2020 at end of his contract. It also examines evidence Deloitte provided “independent reasonable assurance reports” to RTÉ on top presenter pay.