Broadcasting fee soon even more expensive? New GEZ discussion suggests bad things

It couldn’t stay at 220.32 euros per year for the broadcasting fee: The new head of the KEF fee commission already has a first argument ready as to why the “GEZ fee” could increase in 2024. But nothing has been decided yet.

Broadcasting fee: increase due to inflation?

Since January 2022, the Commission for Determining Financial Needs (KEF) has had a new chairman, Martin Detzel. In an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, he now commented on a possible increase in the broadcasting fee. The formerly “GEZ fee” called Contribution could “increase nominally” from 2024 – even if all possibilities for savings are taken into account.

Detzel gives inflation as the reason for a possible increase. Or to put it another way: Because everything is getting more expensive anyway, the license fee must also be adjusted. Whether such an increase is “reasonable for citizens” is up to politicians to decide.

In his argumentation, Detzel emphasizes what he thinks last increased importance of public service broadcasters out. During the corona pandemic and the Russian war of aggression in Ukraine, ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandfunk have shown how important they are. Usage figures have increased, according to Detzel.

one contribution reduction he gives a clear refusal. It is not the task of the KEF to cut expenses of the broadcasters “unjustified”. He does not want to create any “pressure to save” (source: FAZ).

This is what the GIGA editorial team thinks of the broadcast fee:

Record income from broadcasting fees

Since the increase in the monthly payment by 86 cents to 18.36 euros, the revenues of the public broadcasters have been bubbling up. They receive per year about 9 billion euros. The Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR) was recently able to enjoy a plus of 35 million euros, while “GEZ” refusers create a large gap. Recently, a judgment by the Federal Administrative Court had also caused a stir.

In contrast to Detzel’s view, however, there are voices in politics that are more in favor of easing the broadcast fee. They also consider inflation to be the reason for this.