TV-less ‘cavemen’ face broadcasting fee

Sir, – The Minister for Communications, Pat Rabbitte, said on RTÉ radio that he did not believe the country was full of cavemen (people who don’t watch television). Therefore, everyone should make a contribution to funding it.

The best thing that could happen in this country would be if the television service went on the blink, preferably permanently.

People might be forced to think, rather than accept spoon-fed dollops of predigested pap. Heaven forbid, they might actually read.

How very inconvenient that would be for the cavemen (of all genders) who run this country. – Yours, etc,

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EOIN DILLON,

Ceannt Fort,

Mount Brown,

Dublin 8.

Sir, – What kind of quiescent permissive bunch does Minister for Communications Pat Rabbitte think we are? He says there are no “cavemen” in Ireland any more, therefore everyone should pay the new broadcasting charge (Breaking News, August 27th). Without offering any explanation, he implies that someone who owns a television and someone who has an iPhone, iPad, or whatever, owes an analogous debt to the State and its broadcasters.

He chooses to ignore that people viewing only on the internet, such as myself, have only a portion of RTÉ available compared to digital subscribers. He also tactfully ignores that RTÉ TV is not freely available to TV owners any more due to digitalisation. Yes, they can pay more for a Saorview-enabled TV. However, internet users do not have this option.

If there was a State programme to provide free broadband everywhere, it would lead to much-enhanced commercial capabilities, increased flow of more accessible information, and more Irish start-up online businesses. I would happily pay a broadcasting charge to support such a plan.

However Mr Rabbitte has thusfar followed the old patterns of pandering to the needs of big business by “caving” in to their lobbying and refusing this option. Instead he looks to further bleed an already pale taxpayer. Between cavemen and outmoded austerity practices, it seems he is watching too much of the History Channel. – Yours, etc,

CONOR GRAHAM,

St Augustine Street,

Galway.

Sir, – I heard our public servant, Pat Rabbitte, refer to us, non-TV-watching people, as “cavemen”. This is with reference to the broadcasting charge. I object to the insults thrown at me for not watching television on any media. I listen to the radio and subscribe to a weekly newspaper.

If the TD wants me to subsidise other people’s TV, that’s okay. If he wants me to pay the fee for just listening to the radio, that’s also okay. But Mr Rabbitte, please don’t call me a liar or a caveman. – Yours, etc,

ANNE MICHAEL,

Boghall Road,

Bray, Co Wicklow.