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TV fees: Is Germany getting its money worth?
Published: 18 Feb 13 14:40 CET | Print version
Online: http://www.thelocal.de/opinion/20130218-48033.html
More than half of Germans feel their public television isn't worth what they pay in licence fees. Is German TV worth €17.89 a month or must broadcasters up their game? Have your say.
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In fact, two thirds of those asked said that they felt ARD and ZDF state broadcasters had plenty of room for improvement.
German public television is known for its staid shows without evening advert breaks, but foreign sitcoms are often shown on private channels with lots of commercials.
For decades, many people dodged paying the obligatory GEZ TV fees for public broadcasting. Yet at the beginning of 2013, German law changed meaning every single household had to pay for a licence, regardless of whether or not it has a television or radio. The price has remained the same from before the switch, prompting 78 percent of those YouGov asked to say they thought it was too high.
Should Germany lower its fees in order to appease unhappy viewers, admitting defeat to increasingly popular foreign sitcoms?
Or should Germany's public broadcasters think about changing what they air, perhaps using money from the TV license payments to make more engaging television? Have your say.
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Your comments about this article:
It is only a matter of time before these young voters go in and press on the political folks. State-run TV needs to figure some plan B for the period ahead, with half the choices they currently offer, and radically cut on the monthly fee. That's the only way they survive. By 2030, I'm predicting that the vast majority of Germans want the fee tossed entirely.
I still don't get and probably never will. If such huge amount is being paid, why the hell there are so so soooooo many Advertisements!!!!!
The licence fee is for ZDF and ARD both of which are advert free. The rest have adverts because they have to pay their own way.
At least on SRF1/2 and ORF1/2 in Switzerland and Austria respectively, the programming is decent. SRF2 even has the option to pick between German and English audio channels.
@The-ex-pat
ZDF and ARD do have advertisements. It only truly ad-free after 8 PM. They are allowed up to 20 min of ads during the day. It even says on their website.
'I still don't get and probably never will. If such huge amount is being paid, why the hell there are so so soooooo many Advertisements!!!!!'
this is exactly the first reason why I don't even have a TV here in Germany.
The second reason is most German TV programs are HORRIBLE and so 1990's in style... Yes its time to up your game if you want more money people!
where does all this money go...certainly not into 'new product development'
One real shortcoming of German TV is the last of original sound tracks or under titles, Has anyone ever notices how much better citizens of Denmark and the Netherlands speak English, French (and German) and much of that goes to their broadcasting programs in the original languages. I think there is something to be learned from those two countries and their TV industry.
I especially like how at anytime of day, you could turn on the TV and find at least 1 show from a zoo, or a rerun of the Nanny.
When is Netflix coming to Germany?
This has two advantages:
1) it puts an end to the silly bureaucracy for the separate tax on TV and the endless debates on whether that's fair for people not even owning a TV. If everyone needs to pay it, it's tax. So, stop making things more complicated then needed. I happen to believe governments have a job to subsidize/stimulate cultural activities, including those on TV. Those subsidies come out of the overall tax budget and are subject to the same scrutiny as other expenses.
2) it opens things up to have sensible political decision making about the scope of public television. For example in Holland, it didn't make a lot of sense to a lot of people that state funded television was competing with commercial television in a rather unfair way (e.g. running game shows, bidding for football broadcasting rights). Also, it opened the discussion about why quite a few people were getting fat salaries well exceeding that of the prime minister out of tax money. Bureaucracies have a tendency to be self serving.
As for German public television, I don't watch TV at all but I understand it is popular with lots of Germans. Personally, I think it is mostly redundant and the government could instead work with commercial broadcasters on subsidizing specific programming that actually needs it.
Also does anyone know how many households there are in Germany and how much money they will actually get per month?
With enough international and private alternatives available, the national television would do well to concentrate on providing news and information, without further elucidation or manipulation, so that members of the general public can form their own opinion.
The statement by ex-chancellor Schmidt, in which he says, ( news is not enough, an expert is needed to explain it), is an insult to all who are intelligent enough to think for themselves.
And do not even have a TV so can not get the channels the Stasi taxi is for..
Sign up for a VPN service, get a U.S. IP address, and you can watch Netflix, Blockbuster, or AmazonPrime. The VPN is only around $10 a month and you probably already know those tv/movie services mentioned are dirt cheap.
As an added bonus, you can also watch stuff on the big 4 (NBC, CBS, ABC, and Fox), and you can watch stuff on youtube.
This is really a loot....
I hate this TV tax. I am not interested to see and listen to this crap radio and Tv.
*meaning a very significant % of the population.
I would like to say what I think but the sensors will not allow it.
It is surprising they aren't taxing the air we breathe or is that next on the agenda.
I would like to send them something that they can take their licensing fee and shove it where the sun doesn't shine.