Television licensing in Cattala

The current licence fee in Cattala is £149 ($230) per annum. It is collected on behalf of public broadcaster Royal Media International and 3Television, a private broadcast rival that is subsidised by the Ministry of Culture, Arts and Sport. The Television Licensing Commission, controlled by the government, organises the funding of the two corporations.

After 2015, the licence will be reduce by £19 per household, or £30 million a year, and both broadcasters will see a significant cut in funding, with 3Television the hardest hit. This follows a review of the licensing arrangement in 2012/13. Currently, £200 million goes to RMI and £30 million to 3Television. Both corporations will see their funding cut by £20 million, with £10 million then allocated for Cievista, which will be run independently.

Until 2004, owners of televisions were legally obliged to declare it and pay a TV License each year. Since then, all households have been legally required to pay it as a form of tax, regardless of whether they own a television or not. This has cut fraud from 7% to below 3%, and raised revenues by several million lira each year.