Rabbitte won't increase TV licence to 'bail out RTE'
The Communications Minister Pat Rabbitte says he will not be increasing the TV licence fee, in order to bail out RTE.
Rabbitte made the comments, after it was reported last week that RTE's Director General Noel Curran would like to see the State broadcaster collect a greater proportion of its funding from public sources - as the company deals with a deficit of €60m.
The TV licence fee will soon be replaced by a public broadcast charge - which will have to be paid by every household in the country - regardless if they own a television.
But Minister Rabbitte says the amount of €160 a year will remain the same: "I shouldn't be announcing it because we haven't done all the homework yet.
"I don't have any plans to increase the TV licence at the moment."
