TV licence fee renewals down 31% since RTÉ scandal

Licence fee revenue is down €14.2 million to date this year in the wake of the RTÉ payment scandal.

According to figures provided by the Minister for Tourism, Culture, Arts, Sports and Media, Catherine Martin, revenues from the €160 TV licence are down 31% from July 1st to October 16th compared to the same time period in 2022.

The scandal, which broke in late June, has had a direct effect on people deciding not to renew their licence fee, and causing a major financial crisis at RTÉ in the process.

Figures from July and August showed a sharp drop-off in people paying the licence fee in the wake of the RTÉ scandal, but An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has encouraged people to still pay the licence fee.

The licence fee renewal figures have consistently dropped since the scandal, and this latest picture shows the level of discontent among the public, with Martin recently saying that “trust has been shattered” between the public and RTÉ.

In new figures provided by Minister Martin in a written Dail reply to Fianna Fáil TD James O’Connor, Martin said that up to 16 October last year, RTÉ had obtained €101.098 million in TV licence revenue by this stage in 2022, but the figure stands at €89.48 million for the same time period in 2023.

Martin states that RTÉ receives 93% of TV licence revenue and told O’Connor “is it further estimated that the loss of income to RTÉ to year end will be up to €21 million.”

Earlier this month, RTÉ Director General Kevin Bakhurst told the Public Accounts Committee that the state broadcaster will run of cash by next spring without a bailout from the Government.

For his part, An Taoiseach Leo Varadkar has insisted that RTÉ will not see a bailout until it demonstrates clear signs of reform.

Figures showed that 642,860 licence fees were purchased this year from January 1st until October 16th, a 12% decline compared to 731,772 from the same time period in 2022.

The public mood turning against RTÉ is still very much prevalent, with figures showing that 23,010 purchased a licence from October 1st to October 16th, compared to 38,473 for the same period last year.

Martin said “this represents an estimated decline of €14.2 million in revenues which support not only RTÉ but also the Broadcasting Fund which in turn supports the Sound and Vision Scheme, and is very important to the independent production sector.”

“The restoration of sustainable and secure funding for public service broadcasting is a priority for Government,” she said.