March 27, 2023, 10:10 am | Read time: 3 minutes
The plans of public broadcasters in Germany are quite extensive. According to internal documents, a significant increase in the broadcasting fee is also planned as part of this.
There has been a heated debate in Germany for many years about the broadcasting fee (formerly known as GEZ fees). Public broadcasters in Germany are funded through a monthly fee that every German household must pay. This includes more than 20 TV and 60 radio stations, whose offerings can then be used by everyone. A concept that doesn’t sit well with everyone, especially with the increasing spread of streaming services. Accordingly, increases in the broadcasting fee always cause certain waves of reaction. This is also the case with the seemingly upcoming increases in the broadcasting fee in the coming years.
Increase in Broadcasting Fee to Over 20 Euros
There are developments at the public broadcasters–especially when looking at the plans of Kai Gniffke, who has been chairman of ARD since early 2023. It was recently announced, among other things, that ARD wants to set up its own streaming platform that is even supposed to compete with Netflix. They are apparently working with ZDF on this. Speaking of ZDF: The Second German Television is researching a Twitter alternative with media institutions from other countries.
All these plans naturally also incur certain costs. In his announcement, Gniffke spoke of “several hundred million euros.” In fact, the plans seem to have been around for a while. This is suggested by internal documents available to Business Insider. As early as March 2022, almost exactly a year ago, the heads of the broadcasters agreed on a common strategy.
The documents mention a time frame between 2025 and 2028; this also aligns with Gniffke’s current statements. Last year, the directors assumed a necessary increase in the broadcasting fee to 25.19 euros per month. Currently, the fees, often still referred to as “GEZ fees,” are 18.36 euros per month. Thus, the increase would be quite significant, namely by a good 37 percent.
Last Broadcasting Fee Increase 2021
The current financial situation of the public broadcasters is indeed not bad. The Institute for Media and Communication Policy (IfM) recently calculated that the total budget of ARD, ZDF, and Deutschlandradio will exceed the 10-billion mark for the first time. The figure is based on the published budget plans of the institutions. With around 85 percent, a large portion of the revenue comes from the broadcasting fee.
The last increase occurred in 2021. At that time, the fee rose from the previous 17.50 euros to the now valid 18.36 euros. The current contribution period is defined until the end of 2024. After that, the broadcasting fee could rise again accordingly. However, corresponding considerations have already been expressed due to high inflation. For example, the German Journalists Association has already publicly demanded higher fees. Otherwise, program cuts and even job reductions are threatened.