The contribution is not an illegal form state aid and does not violate EU law, the European Court of Justice ruled on Thursday, responding to a further complaint on the issue brought to them by the Tübingen Regional Court.
State prosecutors plan to interview TV satirist Jan Böhmermann before deciding whether to go ahead with a case against him under a little-used law against insulting foreign heads of state.
There was good news for satirist Jan Böhmermann on Thursday, as broadcaster ZDF published a legal opinion claiming a "smear poem" he directed at Turkey's President was within the bounds of the law.
Colleagues of satirist Jan Böhmermann at public broadcaster ZDF are campaigning to have his 'slanderous' poem about Turkey’s leader reinstated online - even as legal action looms against the comedian.
The centre-left Social Democratic Party said on Tuesday that Germany should scrap a law against insulting foreign leaders – which has been used by the Turkish President to target a German comedian.
Sieglinde Baumert began a six-month prison sentence in February after refusing to co-operate with the authorities trying to force her to pay the public broadcaster fee.
TV Comedian Jan Böhmermann is once again going viral - this time with a music video spoofing rockers Rammstein but calling for the world to embrace the modern German values of multiculturalism and niceness rather than nationalism.
It has seen wacky bets performed before millions and hosted an A-List of Hollywood stars, but after a three-decade run Germany's once top-rated TV variety show is getting the axe.
Since January, German households have had to pay a monthly broadcasting license fee of €17.98, regardless of whether they own a television or radio. Now public broadcasters ARD and ZDF have revealed where that money goes.
As Germany's women footballers kick off their campaign to retain their European championship title in Sweden this week, national broadcaster ZDF has sparked criticism with its advert - featuring a headless woman and a washing machine.
A television miniseries brought World War II horrors back to German living rooms this month and provoked a furious reaction from Poland, which accused it of playing down Nazi guilt.
German state broadcaster ZDF left football fans disappointed after failing to secure the rights to air the Champions League match between Dortmund and Ukraine's Shakhtar Donetsk on Tuesday night, because it was on the wrong day.
German state TV broadcaster ZDF came under fire on Monday for airing a "joke" sequence in which a host poked an unwitting woman’s breast and patted her backside as part of a dare.
Thomas Gottschalk, host of Germany’s most successful television show <i>Wetten, dass..?</i> will step down at the end of the season after a contestant was paralysed during a stunt performed on the show.
ZDF said Monday German entertainment institution <i>Wetten, dass?</i> will continue despite a serious accident involving a contestant last weekend. But the public broadcaster has promised to improve the TV show's safety standards.
One of Germany’s biggest television shows, <i>Wetten, dass?</i> was ended early on Saturday night, before global stars including Take That and Justin Bieber could perform, after a candidate seriously injured himself in a stunt.
A TV studio audience thought they were in for a good time at the filming of a new German game show this week, but instead they were forced to spend over seven hours with no bathroom breaks or water while producers held them captive.
Steffen Seibert, the popular television news anchor for ZDF set to become the new face of the centre-right coalition as Chancellor Angela Merkel’s chief spokesman, faces a baptism of fire, former colleagues and media experts have warned.
Germans donated more than €20 million during a televised ZDF fundraiser for relief efforts in Haiti following the disastrous earthquake that hit the Caribbean country.
The conservative Christian Democratic Union won its bid late Friday to force out broadcaster ZDF’s editor-in-chief Nikolaus Brender in a move journalists, unions and opposition parties branded a major blow against media freedom.
Germany was aflutter on Friday after an embarrassing blunder by a news reader for public broadcaster ZDF, who confused “phishing” with the sexual term “fisting” while referring to recent online attacks on email accounts worldwide.
German public broadcaster ARD has been told it has no basis on which to bring a premature end to its contract with Tour de France organisers to show the race in 2009-2011.
The German parliament is threatening to make an example of the country's cycling federation by withholding millions of euros in funding until they can rid the sport of rampant doping.
