Scrapping the TV licence fee is a “too hot to handle” recommendation contained in the upcoming report from the Future of Media Commission, according to Oireachtas media committee member Shane Cassells.
The Fianna Fáil senator was speaking to reporters on the Plinth of Leinster House on Wednesday afternoon ahead of a committee meeting where they discussed the issue.
Mr Cassells also said if we don’t act soon and debate the future of State funding of media in Ireland, both TV and newspapers, that we could “end up in a Fox News, trash newspaper scenario.”
The Irish Mirror understands that publication of the Future of Media Commission report is imminent.
A source in Government Buildings last night said the relevant section has now received the report and the full version will be released “very soon.”
It is understood it was submitted to the Taoiseach and Minister for Media, Catherine Martin, last October.
RTE is losing out on up to €60million annually in evasion from the licence, but they still receive up to €170million in licence fees from viewers.
One of the mooted changes, which surfaced in the past as well, is for the TV licence fee to be done away with and replaced with a household charge for devices.
This could be levied on every home in the country and collected by Revenue, similar to the way the LPT (Local Property Tax) is collected.
Speaking to the Irish Mirror, Mr Cassells said it was widely known in political circles that a review, and possible scrapping, of the current TV licence scheme will be one of the key findings in the upcoming report.
He said: “We know already, it’s the abolition of the TV licence fee.
“And Dee Forbes (Director General of RTE) talked last week about the fact that that’s not necessarily what they are particularly seeking.
“They were seeking the move towards Revenue collecting the fee, the introduction of a charge on a household basis based on devices and so forth.
“That was discussed five years ago and it was left because it was considered by a previous government too hot to handle.
“If it is a case that you’re moving towards pure Exchequer funding purely for RTE, then we’ve seen Virgin Media come into the committee before us and say where’s our share of the pot as well.
“ We need to have that discussion, otherwise we’re going to end up in a kind of Fox News, trash newspaper scenario and it will be too late.
“It will be too late.”
