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Labour how dare the government stop people stealing.

Read more about: Labour Party, Media

I can’t believe I am actually reading this. From Labour

“Ninety per cent of the population enjoys free-to-air television in Ireland, whether this is from RTÉ or TV3. Many of these also enjoy watching British channels such as the BBC at no extra cost, but this could soon end if the Broadcasting Bill becomes law.

“Thanks to the Bill, once the final analogue signals are switched off in a few years, those wishing to use free-to-air television will only be able to receive four Irish channels.

Basically Labour are saying that people should have the right to steal TV.


Free to air does not mean free. BBC is free to air in the UK not in Ireland. The reason being that people in the UK pay a licence fee to pay for the programming. We in Ireland do not pay for this TV, do not contribute anything to the station, we steel it. The reason we pick it up is that radio waves do not see borders simple as, not because we are supposed to see it. As for the likes of UTV and Channel 4. They too are not sending it to Ireland for free. They get a fee from the likes of NTL for putting on their cable platforms. That is the way they wish to procede. 

We have no right to get these channels for free, we are steeling it. When an American TV series is bought by Channel 4 (lets say) they sell them the UK rights. Not the UK and Ireland rights. They want to sell them separately to Irish free-to-air.

Kathleen O’Meara also said it It “makes a mockery of the potential of digital television” But it is not. It is making a mockery of Irish politics. That a party is saying people should be allowed to steel.

Oh and by the way. If you have a free view box in Ireland you can pick up BBC and UTV amongst others.So I really wonder where this statement comes from.

 “The Broadcasting Bill will effectively force those wishing to continue watching these free-to-air stations to fork out the money for subscription satellite or cable television

6 Responses to “Labour how dare the government stop people stealing.”

  1. # Comment by john o neill Feb 2nd, 2007 01:02

    maybe it is in the interpretation but I dont see ’steeling’ at all. so are you saying people who receive bbc by the nature of their location here should contact bbc and offer to pay? after all you are saying it is theft. i’d say this post is grasping at anti labour straws. i dont see anywhere labour saying people have the right to steal tv other than your interpretation.

  2. # Comment by John Carroll Feb 2nd, 2007 07:02

    BBC and ITV are available on Digital Satellite as FTA - Is that changing?

  3. # Comment by Simon Feb 2nd, 2007 09:02

    BBC and ITV are available on Digital Satellite as FTA - Is that changing?

    I doubt it. I would say that part of the release is wrong as well.

    maybe it is in the interpretation but I dont see ’steeling’ at all. so are you saying people who receive bbc by the nature of their location here should contact bbc and offer to pay?

    Would you consider hot wireing a sky box steeling? i.e. getting a signal that is not supposed to be yours. This is the exact same thing. The fact that it involves pointing an aerial at Wales and not chipping a box does not make a difference.

  4. # Comment by mick Feb 2nd, 2007 14:02

    Isn’t that the socialist policy. Steal from those who have and give to those who were too lazy to get their house in order.

  5. # Comment by john o neill Feb 2nd, 2007 19:02

    i mention someone who lives in a location where they pick up the signal and you start talking about hotwiring sky boxes. that is some jump you made by yourself there and nothing to do with anything I said

  6. # Comment by Simon Feb 3rd, 2007 00:02

    How is it? You are getting a signal that is not intended for you. And in most cases the mast is not inline with the RTE signal so to get it you have to point a different aerial at the BBC aerial in Wales or Northern Ireland. How is that really any different. You don’t pick BBC up by accident.

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