Increase to more than 20 euros?

Report: Increase in broadcasting fees to more than 20 euros?

Stuttgart/Mainz. The public broadcasters are on the home stretch to register their financial needs in the coming years. In just over a month, ARD and ZDF, among others, have to present the figures to the responsible commission. It is an important step in a long process until the federal states decide on the amount of the license fee from 2025.

An ARD spokeswoman told the German Press Agency on Saturday when asked in Stuttgart: “The registration has not yet been made.” the financial requirement notifications of the broadcasters for the contribution period 2025 to 2028 not yet available.

Deadline is April 28th

A report by “Business Insider” on Friday said that the ARD directors had agreed on a proposal. The ARD wants to register an “uncovered financing requirement” in the single-digit billions with the KEF. That makes it necessary to increase the broadcasting fee from the current EUR 18.36 per month to more than EUR 20.

“Business Insider” relies on information from internal ARD papers and meetings of the top broadcasters. The report from Friday also says: “This week the ARD directors agreed to register the financial requirements for the period 2025 to 2028.”

The ARD spokeswoman said: “The broadcasters report their needs to the KEF, no financing gaps and certainly no concrete contributions.” is transmitted to the KEF. As long as internal consultations in the ARD and changes in the registration are possible.

The broadcasting fee is determined in several steps. After the broadcasters have registered their needs, the subsequent KEF report with a recommendation on future broadcasting fees is expected to be published in February 2024. This recommendation goes to the federal states, which have to orientate themselves closely to the KEF, in the matter they also have the last word.

Several prime ministers have already signaled that they cannot imagine an increase at the moment. For example, the heads of government in Bavaria, Markus Söder (CSU), and Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff (CDU), brought the contribution into play.

Broadcasting fee is currently 18.36 euros

The discussion about the financing of public service broadcasting has become even sharper due to the debate about reforms at the broadcasters. A major trigger was the uncovered grievances at the ARD station Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB).

The public service broadcasters finance themselves predominantly from the broadcasting fee paid by households and companies. It is currently 18.36 euros per month. ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio are financed with more than eight billion euros annually. The current contribution period runs until the end of 2024.

The public broadcasters refer to ongoing and planned savings. At the same time, they cite inflation, standard wages and pension burdens as arguments for more financial needs.

ARD chairman Kai Gniffke also believes that significant investment in technology is key to the future of public service broadcasting. They are crucial in the competition with international providers such as Netflix, Amazon and Spotify.

Gniffke admitted: “We will not simply get these necessary resources on top of that. I’m not unworldly.” Instead, ARD and all public broadcasters would have to join forces.

Gniffke is director of Südwestdeutscher Rundfunk (SWR) and has been chairman of ARD since the beginning of the year. The office changes among the institutions. The chairman represents all nine state broadcasting corporations of the ARD as the highest representative.

RND/dpa

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