RTÉ proposes hike in TV licence to fund services

A hike in the TV licence fee to fund enhanced services is one of the options proposed by RTÉ in its new five-year strategy, published yesterday.

Having last month posted an annual deficit of €65m for 2012, and against a backdrop of reduced commercial funding due to loss of audience share, the public service broadcaster warned that, without increased public funding, it would “struggle to support key public service activities like news and current affairs, radio drama, regional programming, RTÉ Lyric FM, children and young people’s programming, and Ireland’s national orchestras”.

RTÉ said the TV licence of €160 is “significantly below the European average”. The cost of a TV licence in the UK is €170, while in France the cost is €131.