“Only ONE public broadcaster”
If a group within the CDU and CSU has its way, the end of ARD, ZDF, arte and Deutschlandradio should be imminent. In the future, she only wants to see a single public broadcaster. GIGA explains what’s behind the criticism.
Slash public broadcasters: ARD and ZDF are to merge
What some Union politicians are demanding according to a media report, the German could Turn the media landscape upside down. Members of the Mittelstands- und Wirtschaftsunion (MIT) of the CDU and CSU are said to have met several times since 2019 to discuss a Merger of the public broadcasters to advise.
According to mirror it says in a paper: “In the future there should only be ONE public broadcasting corporation. The previous stations are to merge under this roof. Multiple structures should be eliminated. ”First reported world from this paper.
For ARD and ZDF as well as Deutschlandradio and Arte, the plan of the Union politicians would be the end as we know them so far. The broadly independent broadcasters would become a major broadcaster.
In the video: Opinions from the GIGA editorial team on the broadcast.
Accusation: ARD, ZDF and Co. do that wrong
According to the paper consider public broadcasting for fragmented, the structures are inflated and multiply occupied and too expensive overall. The public broadcasters are also accused of not using the funds from the radio contributions for what they are intended for. Instead, you produce Content that can also be found on private broadcasters.
In addition to members of MIT, other media politicians of the Union from the federal and state levels are said to have participated in the meeting, as well as former managers of the broadcasters. Their idea is no coincidence: it was only around the turn of the year recent increase in the license fee failed, at the resistance of the Landtag Saxony-Anhalt. And before and since then, the radio license fee and its amount has been regularly criticized.
The plan is therefore not out of thin air and could well find support. At the same time, MIT is only a sub-group within the Union parties and does not speak for them. According to Spiegel, she was skeptical about public broadcasting. It is currently unclear whether or when the plans will be implemented.
