The availability of new technologies such as digital and mobile television streaming and the emergence of online broadcasters like YouTube means television is increasingly no longer simply a "box in the corner". This presents challenges in defining what a television is and in collecting licence fee revenue, an Oireachtas committee heard yesterday.
However, the Joint Committee on Communications also heard separately from RTÉ that 99 per cent of Irish homes have a television. As a result, it believes this is going to remain the primary access point for most people for a "long time" to come.
Conor Hayes, chief financial officer, RTÉ, said it wishes to see the introduction of a commercial television licence for businesses. But along with independent operator TV3 and the Competition Authority, RTÉ is in favour of being able to tender for the contract to collect licence fees, currently held by An Post, and for which An Post could itself tender. The level of licence fee evasion here is 15-16 per cent, roughly twice that in the UK, he said.
There have been some 370,000 new homes built since 2002/2003, but the number of new licences has only increased by 220,000. Mr Hayes also said he believed that people who could afford holiday homes could afford to pay for an additional television licence, although several committee members questioned the fairness of this proposal. The committee, which is examining the draft heads of the proposed Broadcasting Bill, was told by Ronan Coy of Fujitsu Siemens that in the future there is increasingly going to be a version of "fast food" in the world of television, where people can download what they want speedily.
He claimed the definition of the television is changing due to emerging technologies. This meant the imposition of a television licence fee under this definition could prove "impossible."
He suggested that a different model of public service broadcasting funding may be necessary for television in the future.
But both David McMunn, head of government, legal and regulatory affairs with TV3 and Bill Prasifka of the Competition Authority, emphasised that there is currently no precise definition of what public service broadcasting means. Mr McMunn highlighted that RTÉ receives significant funding for this remit, regardless of this fact. Responding, committee member Tommy Broughan TD (Labour) suggested that "you know it when you see it".
Conor Maguire, chairman, the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI), said it would be in favour of funding the proposed new Broadcasting Authority of Ireland (BAI) via a levy system.
Mr Maguire also said it might be possible to have an advertising code that recognises a "cap" on the level of sponsorship of programming by private companies.
However, Mr McMunn and David Tighe of the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland said they wished to see the BAI funded from existing licence fees allocated to RTÉ.
Yesterday's session was webcast. The hearing continues this morning.