RTÉ's GRR Vs. The Licence Fee

Just paid the T.V. Licence. It's €160. And it stings. I paid it online. At last I can put the flat number back on the front door. I put the laptop away, put my laser card back in my wallet and prepare to settle down and enjoy one of my favourite shows on RTÉ television. I'm not quite comfortable yet. I shift around a little and realise I'm sitting on my screwdriver. That's better. I lean back, my attention monogamously on the television. Who's that? Scary music! The tension builds, I hold my breath...

Some bad editing later and before I'm entirely sure what has happened, I'm watching a commercial for an anti aging product. The preposterous phrase 're-plumper' referring to the cream's scientific properties snaps me out of my daze, my brain finally gets the message; 'You're no longer enthralled. They cut the scene. It's time to blink.' My heart rate normalises.

I had intended to write a piece about my outrage at some of the salaries earned by the big names on the State Broadcaster's roster. Pat Kenny, in excess of €800,000, Gerry Ryan, in excess of €500,00, Ryan Tubirdy earns €346,000, Marian Finucane (€455,000), Joe Duffy(€367,000), Derek Mooney (€242,000) and Mirium O'Callaghan (€221,000). But yesterday (5th November) it was announced that RTÉ is set to cut €50 million from its budget next year to avoid deficit, the Director General Cathal Goan told the Dáil Committee on Communications. The aforementioned will all be asked to take pay cuts. Though that's easier said than done, as highlighted by Gerry Ryan when quoted on Wednesday in the Irish Independent, "They can look -- I make many millions more (for them) than what they pay me." He continued, "I'd be happy to negotiate once it drops below that." That's a good question. I wonder how much Gerry Ryan Revenue (GRR) accounts for the budget total?

In 2007 the Licence fee generated revenue of €195.7 million, for the same period commercial revenue was €245.5 million. 2008 licence fee income is expected to be in the region of €199 million, due to the €2 increase from €158 to €160. That figure could go up further still if more Licence Fees were collected as RTÉ's own Annual Report 2007 states:

"The underlying level of Licence Fee evasion continues to remain high by international standards running at approximately double that of the UK. RTÉ estimates that circa 14% of all eligible households in the Republic of Ireland currently do not hold a valid television licence."

I find it disingenuous to be expected to pay the current Licence fee when the authorities are failing on such a scale to collect all potential revenues. It seems as though those of us who pay are being punished by those who pay nothing at all.

However for all the apparent injustices or inequalities, I pay the Licence fee. I pay it for the National Symphony Orchestra, I pay it for RTÉ News, for Prime Time (unrivalled topical current affairs journalism). I pay it for The View. I used to pay it for The Mystery Train. I feel like RTÉ suffers from an identity crisis. Is it a commercial entity, motivated by profit and market share? Or is it a bastion of Irish Culture, an archive of Irish life through the generations? If it's the former RTÉ should be expected to go out into the big bad world of competition and fend for itself, without my €160.

Can RTÉ offer cutting edge content driven programming (on both radio & television) when it has clearly shifted to a personality centric platform, which has driven up salaries tightening the budget, which in turn, effects the Licence fee. What influence does personality have on advertising revenues if all brand sellers care about is listener/viewership? Is personality the driving force behind ratings? I would like to know, alas on publication of this article RTÉ's GRR for the year ending 2008 is unknown.