Dhe magic word used by advocates of a stable broadcasting contribution is “moratorium”. Reiner Haseloff, Prime Minister of Saxony-Anhalt (CDU), brought this instrument into play, which would probably postpone an increase in the contribution of currently 18.36 euros, which will probably be necessary from 2025. At a conference in March, he referred to the possibility of freezing the contribution for two years after 2024.
Haseloff has now renewed this proposal to the “Mitteldeutsche Zeitung”. “We have a responsibility to ensure that the acceptance of the public service does not decrease any further,” he justified the initiative. Exactly 20 years ago, Peer Steinbrück (SPD) also had this idea. The goal is to “become more efficient”.
Steinbrück meant the confusing and cost-intensive structures of public service broadcasting. Steinbrück failed – and the Prime Ministers have not really made any progress since then. Since then, the device has even become much more expensive, but not necessarily better, but above all bigger.
Of course, everyone would have to comply with such a moratorium prime ministers agree – which is unlikely even given an increasingly critical attitude towards the structures of ARD and ZDF. And even if they did, the institutions would file a complaint with the Federal Constitutional Court – not for the first time. Because the process of determining the license fee is relatively difficult to break through.
Just a few weeks ago, the broadcasters announced their – of course increased – financial requirements from 2025 onwards. The moratorium is reasonable if the aim is to fundamentally reform the public service system over the two years.
Just not really to freeze, but to break out in order to bring out the core of the order. One chance would be additional income the transmitter credited to the coming contribution period and thus to finance the transition phase. Institutional resistance will be fierce.
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