RTE threatens to continue making Fair City unless people pay licence fee

Kevin Bakhurst, the new RTÉ director general, has said the national broadcaster will continue making more and more episodes of terrible Dublin soap opera Fair City unless people start paying the licence fee.

RTÉ is facing a €20 million hole in its revenue after a staggering 30 percent drop in licence fee payments compared to this time last year.

It had been reported that many RTE homegrown productions were in danger of being cancelled, including the nauseating jackeen borefest that is Ireland’s longest running soap.

However, with no sign of an increase in the number of people opting to pay the mandatory licence fee, Bakhurst changed tactics and threatened to make twice as many episodes instead.

Within hours of the threat, revenue jumped by 60 percent, with reports that some people who have already paid the licence fee paying it again just to be sure.

Speaking on the lunchtime news today, a delighted Backhurst said “I’m sorry we had to resort to threats but I’m very happy to see that it seems to be working. I thought it might. Now don’t let it happen again or we’ll bring back The Lyrics Board.”