Licence fee boost for Irish productions

MORE episodes of Fair City, new home-produced dramas and increased regional news coverage are on the way following RTÉ’s licence fee increase.

The Government yesterday announced a €43 fee increase which will ease the station’s finance crisis and provide funding for private broadcasters for the first time.

RTÉ has, in exchange, promised to provide greater details of how its spends its funds, but the salaries of its top personalities will still remain secret. The licence fee will also be increased annually to keep it roughly in line with inflation, while RTÉ will face a major review every five years to ensure it is meeting finance and programming targets.