RTÉ: TV licence system ‘not fit for purpose’

For the second year in a row, RTÉ has managed to post a modest pre-tax surplus — but the national broadcaster has admitted it is concerned at the rising number of homes which do not have a television set.

RTÉ’s annual report for 2014 showed total revenue of €328.2m, made up of €149.6m in commercial revenue and €178.6m from the licence fee.

However, while commercial revenue was up by 3% compared to 2013, licence revenue was down by 2%. Overall, RTÉ reported a pre-tax surplus of €0.9m down from €1.1m in 2013.