Irish state broadcasters want Internet tax

In what could be a dangerous precedent for all EU countries that support their state run station with a receiver tax, Ireland’s broadcasters want the tax to be applied to any Internet capable device:

The new Broadcasting Bill 2009, currently on it’s last stages in the Oireachtas and about to become the Broadcasting Act 2009, has a lovely little sting in it.

In section 140 (the definitions), it defines “television set” to mean:

any electronic apparatus capable of receiving and exhibiting television broadcasting services broadcast for general reception (whether or not its use for that purpose is dependent on the use of anything else in conjunction with it) and any software or assembly comprising such apparatus and other apparatus;

Nice little bit there. What it basicly means is that if you have no TV and you watch Youtube over your broadband connection (or download video footage and watch that), then you need to have a TV licence. (Stochastic Geometry)

Residents of UK and Irelend own less television receivers per capita than many other countries simply because of the tax that comes attached to each of them. Ireland’s state run broadcast organization is correct in recognizing that video viewing is shifting to the internet. However, I’d be willing to bet that the majority of Internet video viewed is not produced by Irish state broadcasting. If I were Irish, I think I’d be outraged. I can only imagine PBS management is dreaming wildly about it’s very own cell phone tax.