With the recent announcement by Mayo Community TV Ltd that the plug will be pulled on its transmitter in Drummin on September 30, chairperson Joe Gibbons warned that the areas of Claremorris, Newport and Louisburgh may also have their transmitters shut down, which would affect all householders in the area who rely on these transmitters to receive their television stations.
The not-for profit group, who have been in operation for almost 30 years, claim that they have no alternative but to shut down some of the seven transmitters in the county which transmit BBC, ITV, Channel 4, and TV3 signals to householders, due to the shortfall in funding received from the public who are not paying the annual €75 fee. With funds running out the limited company, which receives no subsidies, will have to take action.
Mr Gibbons told the Mayo Advertiser that even if householders are subscribing to a digital service such as Sky they may still use one TV in the house which picks up signals from their transmitter but fail to pay when collectors from Mayo Community TV Ltd call.
Mr Gibbons explained that the 150 homes in Drummin will lose their TV station from September 30, as roughly only one in six homes in the area are paying, and said that it is not fair that moneys from other areas that pay for the service end up subsiding this area. Mr Gibbons also said that not alone will the UK TV stations be lost but the RTÉ signal is very poor in the area and these stations will also be in jeopardy.
The areas of Louisburgh, Newport and Claremorris are also in imminent danger of also having their services removed before Christmas, according to Mr Gibbons, as in these regions there is also a poor response to the collection of the fee.
The current service which is provided by Mayo Community TV allows for householders to “receive a superb signal” and is ridiculously cheap with the company only receiving 40 cents a week (€20 a year from the €75 — the remainder goes towards VAT, IMRO, collectors’ wages, licence fee and administration fee ).
Mr Gibbons concluded that it is not fair “that people who have paid throughout the years will lose this service because their neighbours are not paying” and asked the public to give to the annual collections which are taking place at the moment or to send their cheque to Mayo Community TV Ltd, Balla before they face a broadcast blackout.
