MEMBER PRESS RELEASE

ARD-GVK and ZDF – Together for a strong public broadcasting system

25th October 2024
With German federal states announcing reform plans, the ARD and ZDF supervisory boards have called for public media values to be protected.
ZDF building with banners.
ZDF building. Credit: ZDF.

This press release was originally published by ZDF. 

In view of the hearing on the reform plans of the federal states, the ARD Chairpersons’ Conference and the heads of the ZDF supervisory boards explained at their annual meeting what they expect from the Prime Ministers’ Conference.

In times of increasing uncertainty in society and disinformation, public service broadcasting is more important than ever for democratic social cohesion.

Read more: Majority of population sees educational function for ZDF

“Therefore, the linchpin of all reforms must be that public service broadcasting can successfully fulfill its mission to reach all people with quality offers. To do so, the broadcasters need financial planning security, a framework that increases their flexibility and efficient and effective supervision,” the chairpersons of both sides jointly stated.

Cooperation in technology and diversity in content offers

The heads of the supervisory bodies welcome the legislative impulse to expand co-operation between ARD and ZDF. Efficiency gains can be achieved, particularly in the technical area. In the view of the committees, however, all co-operations must serve the quality and diversity of the content offers. Programme autonomy must be preserved and part of the efficiency gains should be reinvested in the content. As a representative of the public, the supervisory bodies emphasise the need for a suitable offering for the various societal groups.

“Continuous and system-wide cooperation throughout the entire public service broadcasting system marks a profound change. In our view, it is the right thing to do and must now be intensified step by step. This will enable ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio to gradually and sustainably reduce the burden on household fee payers,” explains Engelbert Günster, chairman of the ARD Chairpersons’ Conference.

“However, the quality of the offerings in the playout channels of a convergent media world and the valuable diversity in content between ARD and ZDF must be preserved and, if possible, strengthened. This is the be-all and end-all in a world in which tech companies from the USA and China determine which standards apply in Germany for information, education, advice and culture,” says Katrin Kroemer, First Deputy Chairwoman of the ZDF Television Council.

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Securing the financing of public service broadcasting

The supervisory bodies of ARD and ZDF agree that the necessary adjustment of the household fee by 58 cents as calculated by the KEF in the constitutionally prescribed procedure must be implemented from 1 January 2025. The independent commission responsible for determining the financial requirements of the broadcasters (KEF), which is appointed by the prime ministers of the federal states (the Länder), has stated that the reform measures already initiated and additionally planned will not achieve any significant savings before the end of the next household fee period (2025-2028).

“The linchpin of all reforms must be that public service broadcasting can successfully fulfill its mission to reach all people with quality offers. To do so, the broadcasters need financial planning security, a framework that increases their flexibility and efficient and effective supervision.” – Joint Statement from the Chairs of ZDF and ARD

The reform package will make it possible to modernise structures that have evolved over decades. This would be an enormous success for the prime ministers. However, they must also clearly communicate that the savings can only be felt in the medium to long term. This will not render the adjustment of the household fee obsolete.

Public service broadcasting needs financial planning security for its task of creating an informed, democratic public in the world of platforms. At their conference on 23-25 October 2024, the prime ministers of the federal states will therefore make one of the most important political decisions for our democracy in recent decades. The heads of the ARD and ZDF supervisory committees agree that public service broadcasting should not be weakened, but rather strengthened in these times.