Radio and Television licence abolished

Dated: 18 February 2011

2011 RTV licenc​​e fees collected will be refunded by April 2011

The Government has announced, as part of the FY 2011 Budget, that the Radio and TV (RTV) licence will be abolished. This will apply to RTV licence fees for the period from 1 January 2011.

RTV licence fees were first introduced in 1963. They are payable by households and non-residential premises (such as hotels, offices, food and beverage and retail outlets) that have TV or radio sets. They are also paid by vehicle owners (for in-vehicle radio sets), as well as dealers who are engaged in the import or sale of any broadcasting apparatus. The fees collected are used to fund public service broadcast content. In 2009, MDA collected $132.5 million in RTV fees.

All 2011 RTV licence fees that have been collected will be refunded by April 2011. MDA will mail the refund cheques to households and other licensees.

To be fair to the vast majority of licensees who have already paid the licence fees, MDA will continue recovery of unpaid licence fees for 2010 and before. Licensees with outstanding fees will receive a payment advice from the MDA from 15 March 2011 and have up to 31 May 2011 to pay.

Licensees can log on to https://mdaonline.mda.gov.sg with their SingPass or call the MDA Customer Service Hotline at 1800 4785478 to check the status of their licence accounts.

Please see Annex A for a set of frequently asked questions relating to the payment and refund of RTV licence fees.

“Over the years, PSB content has enabled the broadcast of a diverse range of programmes in Singapore’s four official languages. From 2011, MDA will receive Government funding for public service broadcasts. MDA will work closely with the industry to continuously improve the quality and reach of PSB content, including making them available on new platforms, in step with Singaporeans’ changing media habits,” said Mr Aubeck Kam, Chief Executive Officer, MDA.

PSB programmes celebrate our identity, culture and heritage, as well as bring knowledge and learning to Singapore viewers. PSB support helps to ensure that quality content of some 3,000 hours yearly which promote our shared values are available across all seven free-to-air television channels.

Examples of well-received PSB programmes include homegrown productions enjoyed by families (Fighting Spiders, a drama series on Channel 5), children (Club M.A.G.I.C, a preschool series on okto) and the elderly (The Golden Age, a magazine series on Channel 8). PSB programmes also serve the interest of the minority communities, such as dramas, Sollameley (Without Saying) on Vasantham and Gerimis Di Hati (Cries of the Heart) on Suria. More PSB content has been made available since Vasantham and okto became full channels in 2008. PSB content is also available on new media platforms, in particular, the online video portal XINMSN.

For media queries, please contact :

Gay​ Chwee Hwa (Ms)
Head, Communications
Media Development Authority
Tel. : +65 9726 3165
Email : gay_chwee_hwa@imda.gov.sg ​​

Chia Pei Siang (Ms)
Head, Communications
Media Development Authority
Tel. : +65 9726 3151
Email : chia_pei_siang@imda.gov.sg

Media Development Aut​​​hority of Singapore (MDA)

The Media Development Authority of Singapore (www.mda.gov.sg) promotes the development of vibrant and competitive film, television, radio, publishing, music, games, animation and interactive digital media industries in Singapore. It has developed an industry masterplan, Singapore Media Fusion 2015 (www.smf.sg) to advance this goal. MDA also promotes a connected society, consumer choice and a pro-business environment.

ANNEX A

FAQ ON PAYMENT AND REFUND O​F RTV LICENCE FEES

1. I have paid my 2011 R​TV licence fees. When will I get my refund?

   All 2011 RTV licence fees that have been collected will be refunded by April 2011. Households and other licensees will receive their refund in the form of a cheque by post. MDA will try its best to complete all refunds for about 1.5 million RTV licensees. 80% of licensees can expect to receive their refund by March 2011.

2. I have paid my 2011 RTV licence fees, but not my past RTV licence fees. Do I still need to pay them?

   Yes, you will still have to pay any outstanding RTV licence fees for 2010 or before. However, if you have paid your 2011 licence fees, we will use it to offset against the outstanding amount and if there is still a balance, we will refund you in the form of a cheque, by post.

3. How do I check my licence account status? Who can I approach if I have queries?

   You can log on to https://mdaonline.mda.gov.sg with your SingPass to check the status of your licence account. For more information, you can send your queries to MDA via any of the following channels:

   1. Online feedback form at https://mdaonline.mda.gov.sg

   2. Email us at feedback@mailbox.mda.gov.sg

   3. Customer Service Hotline: 1800-4785-478

4. I do not have SingPass. What do I do?

   Please apply online for your SingPass at :
   https://www.singpass.gov.sg/sppubsvc/req1.html.
   For more information, please visit www.singpass.gov.sg.

5. How do I update my address?

   You can send us your update details via any of the following channels:

   1. Online feedback form at https://mdaonline.mda.gov.sg

   2. Email us at feedback@mailbox.mda.gov.sg

   3. Customer Service Hotline: 1800-4785-478

6. I have been paying RTV licence fees by GIRO. Do I need to inform my bank to cancel my GIRO account?

   You do not need to inform your bank. MDA will notify your bank, IRAS or LTA to stop all GIRO payment plans with effect from March 2011. However, if you wish to inform your bank directly to cancel the GIRO arrangement, you may proceed to do so.