FIONA McGARRY,
Sir, - Now that the collective mind is focused on the nature of public broadcasting and how it can best be organised and supported, might it be time to re-conceptualise the licence fee?
The idea of a "licence" envisages the relationship between the viewer and the broadcaster as a strictly legal one. The terminology, side by side with a censorious mode of advertising penalties for non-payment, degrades the civic importance of support for the public broadcaster.
By contributing financially to RTÉ, we are supporting the independent programme production sector, and projects which contribute to the cultural, educational and sporting life of the country, as well as making possible television, radio and on-line services. The idea of "licence fee" payment simply doesn't cover the relationship of the audience to the national broadcaster.
The report of the Forum on Public Broadcasting gives us the bottom line on the costs of having a quality service. Now that the question of how much the public should contribute to RTÉ is back on the political agenda, should a new designation for this support also be looked at? -Yours, etc.,
FIONA McGARRY,
Lecturer in Media Policy,
Galway-Mayo Institute
of Technology,
Dublin Road,
Galway.