Broadcasting charge proposals - Q&A

This Government seems to be coming down with new charges. What's this about another one?Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte has suggested replacing the television licence fee with a household broadcasting charge. But whereas water charges, the property tax and the household charge are driven by a need to increase revenues, the broadcasting charge is not designed as a moneyspinner for the Government.

Then why are they introducing it?

The way in which we consume communications technologies is changing rapidly. Time was when most of us had access only to a few homegrown television and radio stations; today, we can tune into media outlets from around the world.

We can watch television on our phones, listen to radio on our televisions and do both on computers.

Yet the funding for television comes only from the purchase of about one million television licences each year.

So what?

If current trends continue, licence fee income will drop as people access television on computers and phones. Evasion is already a problem with the licence fee; up to 18 per cent of people don’t have a licence for their telly.

Should I be surprised at this new charge?

Not really, it was a commitment in the programme for government.

Will I be paying more?

If you already have a television licence, no. You may even end up paying less than the current €160 licence fee, according to the Minister, because the new charge will be harder to evade and more money will be collected.

I don’t have a television and don’t pay for a licence. Will I have to pay the new charge?

Most likely. The Minister has suggested there will be few exemptions, so any household with a television or online connection is likely to be hit. That’s likely to mean that someone with a few terrestrial television stations will be paying the same as a home bristling with the latest technology. The situation with mobile devices is less clear but if you’re accessing public service content you could be targeted.

I have a telly but I don’t watch RTÉ . . .

The Minister reckons most of us do, whether in the normal way on television or through media players available online. In any case, he is keen to protect public service broadcasting in an increasingly crowded broadcasting world.

Will the broadcasting charge be bundled into the new household charge?

It’s not clear at this stage. It is likely, however, that the new charge will be collected using the same system currently being used to collect the household charge.

What’s happening in other countries?

Most countries are looking at how their broadcasting sectors will be affected by the increasing pace of technological change. The BBC is considering whether to introduce a “pay-per-view” system for programmes available online on its iPlayer service.

When will it be introduced?

Not for a while. The Minister says the collection system won’t be ready by next year. The issue of how the money collected is divvied up between RTÉ and other broadcasters is also likely to be contentious. Another issue is whether rte.ie would qualify for support from the money collected, given that it is in competition with other news websites.