Big changes are being made to how the TV licence fee is collected, and how many people have to pay it.
It's part of a plan to crack-down on numbers who continue to avoid the levy.
At the moment An Post is responsible for collecting the money, but the government wants to see if another body could do it more successfully.
It is planning to advertise the contract for collecting the TV licence, which means private firms could go up against An Post for the job.
TV Licence - Evasion Rates
The latest available figures estimate around 12% of people who own a TV don't have a TV licence.
The Communications Minister hopes the change will "future proof" funding for public service broadcasting.
Richard Bruton said the winner of the five year contract will be expected to set up a "robust collection service".
At the end of those five years, it is proposed that the TV licence will change to a Broadcasting Levy.
That means anyone who watches publicly-funded content using any device will be liable to pay it.
From 2024, it will cover phones, laptops, tablets and other devices.
RTÉ, which is funded by the licence fee, believes it could have €40m more to make programmes with if everyone paid the charge.
However, independent broadcasters are calling for a slice of the pie.
Companies including 98FM, which is owned by Communicorp Media, believe they should be entitled to a portion of the TV licence.
A group of companies, represented by the Independent Broadcasters of Ireland, say falling ad revenues and a number of rules attached to their licences make it hard to turn a profit.
John Purcell, Chairman of the IBI, said the group will "actively engage with all political parties" to ensure the money is "used to fund the programmes that are of value to the audiences in Ireland".
Independent Broadcasters Welcome Significant Changes in Broadcasting Legislation https://t.co/Gp0uajKfpE pic.twitter.com/xPDnZU6x2s
— IBIreland (@IBIreland) August 2, 2019
The Communications Minister is moving to reduce the levy independent broadcasters have to pay to stay on air.
Richard Bruton is also setting up a grant for young journalists working in local and regional radio.
He said the changes are being made as "public service broadcasting is more important now than ever".
"Independent, objective reporting of domestic and international affairs is crucial", he said.
The Broadcasting Amendment Bill has been approved by government and will be presented before the Dáil in the Autumn.
