The Distributional Effects of State-Financed Broadcasting

Abstract

This article examines distributional effects of the Irish public service broadcaster, RTE. Conditional probabilities of usage of, satisfaction with, willingness to pay for, and perception of improvement of, RTE's broadcasting services are estimated and compared. The regressive structure of the license fee funding mechanism is shown to represent a transfer toward females, those living outside Dublin, and those aged 35+. However, there is little support for a policy change toward a less regressive structure.