Free-to-air not really Free - radio/tv tax is $9/month

[Keltzar]

I just got my radio/tv tax bill from media development authority (MDA), courtesy of IRAS.

$110 for a year. that's >$9/month.... for the right to have a TV/ radio ??...
and if this is said to go into developing local content, then clearly, the standards are seriously lacking.

Granted, Free-to-air here is better than in some neighbouring countries... but seriously .... mediocre reality shows, local dramas with one of these themes :
1) Love.
2) More love.
3) family politics
4) A bunch of swimmers who can't act
5) one of the above.

... seriously lame. I have had cable TV for 2 months now... and I think I am getting 4 times the quality of content, for a little over twice of what the "free to air" licence is costing.

$9 will buy 2 weeks of cable TV. ... and today's ST article supports this (below).... and honestly, if "free" ... then local Tv might still be watchable... but at $9/month ... that is serious money, and the collectors of this tax should account for how this money is being spent ... generating REAL content.

------
More people watch cable TV
boon chan
Thu, Nov 12, 2009
The Straits Times

Cable channels have eaten into free-to-air TV's share of the viewing pie in Singapore.

On any given night, about two-thirds or 64 per cent of households with cable television are tuned to a cable programme instead of a free-to-air (FTA) channel.

This has gone up from four years ago. In 2005, the share of cable programmes in homes with cable was 59 per cent.

 

[ricleo]

woww..interesting analysis...

is it possible to subscribe for cable TV without the local TV so that we don't have to pay the $110 a year? haha...

 

[eyes]

It's called "Radio / TV Licence Tax". ie. bite fingers and just plough and pay, even if you don't watch dumb free to air programs.

 

[Keltzar]

Granted we can't run away from the TAX ... but shouldn't MDA / IRAS provide some accountability as to where all the funds being collected from this tax is going. And, some of the useless local production / drama should simply be axed.

And come on ... how many lame love stories can we watch, or silly family squabble-type stories.

Though if you ask me, it's another archiac tax ... just like the driving licence renewal (which is also a tax), which has now been abolished.