RTE to charge American Internet users for access to online programming

How STUPID

RichardP: " We don't charge people at home to watch them". Just how out of touch are you, RichardP? Are you in Ireland? Then you must be a real nut if you don't know that the Irish pay a hefty fee every year to watch TV. And they also pay thru commercials. Are you trying to tell us you live in Ireland and you don't know all this?

Radio Telefís Éireann (RTÉ) is funded from television license fee and advertising revenue, which explains the inflated salaries narcissistic presenters are paid. RTÉ will be in for a surprise whe they see the low numbers subscribing. COuld well lead to a proverbial Scatterin'.

Richard P , never heard of a license fee then?

It also has the advantage of furthering censorship so that the rest of the world doesn't know what's going down in the Republic - sort of like the Great Wall of China.

An interesting approach, goes counter to everything I learned in undergrad, grad school and decades of experience in marketing, audience building, advertising and broadcasting. They'd probably be better off offering packages to Netflix and Hulu, that seems to have worked for US, Australian and British TV. I’m sure anyone computer savvy and interested will just get an Irish IP address and low tech people like me can just ask a relative to Skype and turn the camera toward their television. Most program vendors are looking to increase market, not limit it. They’d better have a backup plan, like sell advertising on “RTE America.”

An interesting approach. Goes counter to everything I learned in undergrad, grad school and decades of experience in marketing, audience building, advertising and broadcasting. They'd probably be better off

Well, I'm am sorry to hear of your decision. Maybe you have not heard about the economy over across the pond. Our present government is taking money from those of us that worked for it all our lives to give to the ones that either did not or would not and they will not be listening to Irish music or programs. They are not Irish. I do hope you realize you get so much goodwill and free advertisment in showing off your beautiful country with your programming the way it is. I enjoyed some programs from RTE but I will not pay to watch them on the internet. I do hope you reconsider. Mary from Shreveport, Louisiana

Come on home, we miss you terribly - and brings lots of money. Watch our programs - they're crap but they're Irish and you'll love them. We don't charge people at home to watch them because they couldn't be bothered but sure you have loads of cash so we'll charge you to see our stuff. We value the Diaspora far more now that we need your money again.

Pretty soon only the Belfast Telegraph will be free.

I'm sorry to read this as I watch the news every day; will miss it.

Well, as the saying goes, to hell with RTE. The diaspora has already sent enough money home to float crackpot socialist schemes in the Old Country. Clearly RTE thinks it is a lot better than it really is. Over here we only pay for what's really worth the dollar.

I will no longer log into RTE.

I'm a huge online fan of RTE especially TG4. Even though I have no Irish I've become addicted to Ros na Run, Afric and Crisis Eile. I would certainly be willing to consider paying for this content.

Very Bad Move. RTE does more to showcase Ireland in a very inexpensive way compared to paid advertising. Ireland does not market itself an its products well. They must move from just marketing to those of Irish ancestry to all global consumers. RTE should be creating tv series that would appeal to all Americans (like the BBC has done) rather than charge and turn people away.