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Logini demand MDA... ...
19 posts
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Originally posted by noob321:
i demand MDA allow singaporeans to privately own satellite dishes!
... that will make their requirement of a TV License, more justifiable...... right now, I don't know what is the purpose of a TV License besides generating revenue for the government....
... maybe we're paying the license for their gigantic Satelite Dish - for all we know, that's probably so...
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Dont worry lah let market forces dictate loh. If advertisers find that advertising on MediaCorp channels is a waste of money and stops, I very much doubt they can survive on the small TV license fees. They have to pay so many people off you know and I am sure Jack Neo and gang makes more money on their own rather than off Mediacorp nowadays.
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oh yeah here it is
SM Lee's view towards Hollywood culture:
"I see it in my grandchildren every day. They grow up differently than my own children. My grandchildren speak English, they watch TV via satellite straight from the USA, they read American magazines".
--The Straits Times, page 2, "News Focus" on 15th Dec 97, Monday.
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Fined for late payment, one man asks:
Why should I pay for a TV licence?
May 30, 2008
MR Leonard Lee forgot to pay his TV licence fee this year and had to pay a $25 fine.
Mr Leonard Lee feels that paying a TV licence for owning a TV is unnecessary, and is even more disgruntled over the late payment fine. Picture: GAVIN FOO
Like a law-abiding citizen, Mr Lee, 38, a general manager of a welfare service centre, paid his dues.But if he had his way, he wouldn't pay a single cent.
He doesn't understand why people should pay annual TV licences.
Neither does he understand why the fine for late payment - about 23 per cent of the $110 licence - is so hefty.
The fine amounts to $25.
Under the Broadcasting Act, a household has to pay for a TV licence if it owns a television set, radio or any equipment that can receive broadcasts.
The Straits Times reported in 2006 that $111 million was collected in TV and radio licence fees in 2005.
The money was used to fund more than 3,000 hours of public service programmes, the Media Development Authority (MDA) said.
About 100,000 households, or one in 10, do not pay the annual licence fee, reported The Straits Times last week.
The ratio has remained fairly constant over the years.
COMPLAINTS OVER FEES
Some deliberately do not pay, while others forget to. Some are financially strapped. And then there are those who complain about paying for content they don't watch.
Mr Lee is one of them. He questions the need to pay for a TV licence to fund public service programmes. He told The New Paper: 'Subscribers of paid TV services may feel aggrieved that they need to pay for a TV licence in addition to paying for cable channels.'
Are the fees really being put to good use, asked Mr Lee.
'I don't really see how their shows have benefited the people as a whole.'
MDA's customer and licensing services manager Regina Chang said in an e-mail reply to The New Paper:
'The programmes play an important role in Singapore's multicultural and multiracial society by keeping Singaporeans informed about issues of relevance.
'They help to promote racial harmony, foster social cohesion and national identity.'
'An example of such a programme is the broadcast of the National Day Parade and the upcoming Olympic Games in Beijing,' Ms Chang added.
But Mr Lee begs to differ.
He said: 'There are already other taxes such as the goods and services tax that the Government collects and uses to improve the quality of life in Singapore.
'So why should MDA be a separate tax collector for the same purpose?'
And since viewers are indirectly funding public service programmes, he feels that they should get a say over what programmes go on air.
He also does not see why MDA should impose hefty fines on people who don't pay on time.
If offenders insist on not paying up, the MDA will send them summons.
And if they ignore the summons, they can be arrested and hauled to court. Those found guilty face a fine of up to $40,000.
Mr Lee feels that such penalties are unnecessary.
He noted how the $25 fine for the TV licence fee is much higher than say, the fine for late payment of utilities bills, which is 1 per cent of the outstanding amount owed.
'For those who live in one- or two-room flats, $25 is a lot of money,' Mr Lee said.
By Charissa Yong, newsroom intern
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