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May 17, 2012
Published: 27 Oct 09 17:14 CET
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/national/20091027-22851.html
Germany’s hated GEZ public broadcasting licence fees – required of everyone who owns a television or radio – may be changing soon, daily Handelsblatt reported on Tuesday.
The Local (news@thelocal.de)
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Your comments about this article:
In my household of two we have eight devices capable of radio or Television signal reception. We are required to pay a fee for those we own, even if we do not use them all for the capability that is license-able.
How can a real and fair accessment be appointed each household under a flat License?
How will we fair this change? Will there be an appeal process?
One more 'cost' for the retired pensioner to incur and endure...speaking for myself.
But now I pay for the minimal TV license and I don't mind even though I still don't watch German TV, however like the BBC now I understand that for any public service brodacast to work everyone has to pay for it, it is made available to everyone whether they use it or not. Without a PSB the alternative would be a commercialised TV media like the fragmented system in the US which does little to no public service to educate, inform and entertain.
It seems obvious that the GEZ will go up since if many are like me we aren't paying the full amount and a single tariff will be fair to everyone.