Price cap for broadcasting fee: ARD and ZDF are facing difficult times

Prices are rising in the supermarket and at the petrol pump, and a look at the upcoming service charge bill does not bode well. In at least one respect, however, stable prices could give consumers hope. In politics, people are thinking about capping the broadcasting fee. ARD, ZDF and Co. would have to tighten their belts.

Freeze broadcast contribution: Söder wants more security for consumers

Public broadcasting is currently not in a good light: the RBB leadership has been fired, and there is criticism of other ARD broadcasters, parts of the NDR for questionable expenses and high salaries in management levels – all of this ultimately financed by German consumers through the broadcasting fee , who, even without this, likes to be criticized frequently.

Is it any wonder that the question of costs is being raised again? First and foremost is Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder, who also sits on the ZDF board of directors. He demands: “In this turning point, when inflation is rising and all costs are exploding, we have to think about keeping the license fee stable, freezing it at the current level” (Source: t-online).

Söder’s idea sounds nice, but leaves all sorts of questions unanswered: for example, the last adjustment to the broadcasting fee was just a year ago. There is no regular adjustment, one Increase is currently not up for debate. Since the renaming to the broadcasting contribution in 2013, the rates have been raised three times: in 2013, 2015 and most recently in 2021.

However, general inflation in particular could suggest that a new increase could take place in the near future. In this case, you could give consumers the promise of an increase, after all give a little more security.

In the GIGA editorial team, we also thought about the broadcast contribution:

Tax experts want a smaller broadcasting fee

At the same time, other sides are calling for more drastic plans: Schleswig-Holstein’s Finance Minister Monika Heinold (Greens), for example, favored a temporary freeze on contributions (source: Golem). The idea: as long as energy prices are exploding and inflation is high, should broadcasting fees are no longer charged. The taxpayers’ association, on the other hand, calls for a fundamental reduction in the contribution for public broadcasters. So no temporary freeze on payments, but having to pay less permanently.

Either way, the pressure on ARD, ZDF and Co. increases in the wake of the RBB affair involving director Patricia Schlesinger. The public broadcasters are required to deal conscientiously with the public funds allocated to them.