Germany

[DE] Agreement on Broadcasting Licence Fees

IRIS 2008-5:1/9

Alexander Scheuer

Institute of European Media Law (EMR), Saarbrücken/Brussels

The Minister-Presidents of the Länder agreed to increase broadcasting licence fees for the 2009-2012 period in early March 2008 (see IRIS 2008-2: 10). Based on the proposal of the Kommission zur Ermittlung des Finanzbedarfs der Rundfunkanstalten (Committee for the establishment of broadcasters' financial needs - KEF) and consultations with the Landesmedienanstalten (Land media authorities), the TV licence fee will rise by EUR 0.95 to EUR 17.98. The Land media authorities will again receive a share of the increase.

As a result, the essential provisions of the 11. Rundfunkänderungsstaatsvertrag (11th amendment to the Inter-State Broadcasting Agreement - RÄStV) are now established. Nevertheless, the future method of distributing funds among the Land broadcasting authorities that make up the ARD remains under discussion. The broadcasting authority directors are currently debating this question, while media policy-makers are expected to draft an internal proposal on the subject; in addition, the KEF will publish a report on the financial structure. In its 16th report, it referred in particular to the problems that individual broadcasters are experiencing in financing their activities.

The 11th RÄStV will probably only deal with these issues; the Minister-Presidents chose this route not least in view of the ruling of the Bundesverfassungsgericht (Federal Constitutional Court) of September 2007 (see IRIS 2007-9: 8). The basis upon which public service broadcasting should be financed in future has yet to be decided.