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Karlsruhe rejects urgent request from ARD and ZDF – Buhrow announces “serious measures”
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ARD and ZDF suffered a defeat before the Federal Constitutional Court. Tom Buhrow warns of consequences for the show
Source: dpa-infocom GmbH
The Federal Constitutional Court has rejected the motion of public broadcasters to temporarily order an increase in transmission rates as of January 1. Tom Buhrow now warns of “serious action” at ARD.
rehe Federal Constitutional Court of Karlsruhe has rejected the requests of ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio for the issuance of interim measures on the radio license fee. The applications had been turned against the decision of Saxony-Anhalt not to approve the new interstate broadcasting agreement for the time being. This is a premium increase of 86 cents.
The constitutional judges cited as one reason for the decision that ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio did not explain in their motions why a delay in the entry into force of the new “State Broadcasting Treaty” would irreversibly lead to serious disadvantages. Broadcasters had pointed to a funding gap until the end of 2022, but it was not understandable to the court “why if the decision on constitutional complaints was awaited, the financial requirements until the end of 2022” should remain unfulfilled.
In addition to urgent requests, public broadcasters have also submitted constitutional complaints to the Federal Constitutional Court. There will be a trial here later.
Two weeks ago, Saxony-Anhalt blocked the adjustment of the radio license fee from the current 17.50 euros to a plus of 86 cents, as Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff (CDU) withdrew the bill from the state parliament before the vote. Because all federal states have to agree before the end of the year, the state treaty cannot go into effect.
By withdrawing the bill, Haseloff saved his divided government coalition with the SPD and the Greens and prevented a joint vote of the CDU and the AfD in parliament.
The main judgment still continues
Public broadcasters were moved to the Federal Constitutional Court after the blockade of Saxony-Anhalt. It is not yet known when the main issue will be decided.
Bremen and Saarland support the stations’ complaints. They announced that they would send their own statement to Karlsruhe. The background to this is that the smaller ARD stations, Radio Bremen and Saarländischer Rundfunk, are located in the two federal states and that they already have to be supported by other ARD stations in a financial compensation scheme. For them, the State Treaty would also have meant that the proportion of financial compensation would have increased.
The license fee is the main source of income for public broadcasters. An independent commission forecast a financial deficit of € 1.5 billion over the next four years and therefore recommended € 18.36. It would be the first increase in the license fee since 2009.
Buhrow: “Now we have to adjust our financial planning”
ZDF Director Thomas Bellut sees an encouraging point in the urgent rejection of the application. “The ZDF has taken note of the urgent decision of the Federal Constitutional Court and is awaiting the main process. It is encouraging to see in the justification that a violation of the freedom of broadcasting is possible in light of the previous jurisprudence, ”the director informed the dpa news agency.
ARD President Tom Buhrow told dpa: “Now we have to adjust our financial planning. If the premium is not adjusted, serious action will be required that will be seen and heard on the show. “Now we will discuss together.
Deutschlandradio wants to resolve the specific consequences for the house following the urgent request for the transmission fee, which was rejected by the Federal Constitutional Court. A spokesman for the public broadcaster announced on Tuesday at the request of the German Press Agency: “Deutschlandradio has taken note of the urgent decision of the Federal Constitutional Court. We will now decide on savings measures that can be implemented at short notice and await the decision in the main proceedings. “
In the next four years, a total of around 66.5 million euros will be missing if the premium adjustment does not arrive. This “would inevitably have important consequences for programming.”
The Prime Minister of Saxony-Anhalt, Reiner Haseloff, has taken note of the decision of the Federal Constitutional Court on urgent motions rejected against the blockade of Magdeburg in the radio contribution “with respect”. At the request of the German Press Agency, the CDU politician announced on Tuesday: “The Senate has drawn attention to the fact that applicants are not threatened with any serious disadvantage if the transmission fee is delayed. This provides an opportunity to examine the complex questions that are in the room in the downstream process with the necessary care and prudence. “
