Critics Greet New Broadcasting Chief With Talk Show Complaints

Michael Hedges January 10, 2013 Follow on Twitter

More often than not, new public broadcasting bosses are welcomed to a barrage of criticism. It’s a rite of passage, of sorts. There’s always a complaint, a better idea and sometimes a scandal. Everything is on the table, especially the money.

The task of leading Germany’s public network ARD fell to NDR (Norddeutsche Rundfunk ) Director General Lutz Marmor at the first of the year. The ARD chairman rotates among regional public broadcasting heads, serves two years, generally, and becomes a very public spokesperson for all public television. He succeeds WDR (Westdeutsche Rundfunk) Director General Monika Piel, who served ARD from January 2011.

Changes in license fee collection meant to streamline the process came into effect at the first of the year, putting critics on razors edge. At a time when Germans are tightening their financial belts, said CDU politician Andrea Verpoorten, quoted by Die Welt (January 8), budgets should be cut “as a sign that ARD and (second public TV network) ZDF have arrived at reality.”  Ms Verpoorten, who sits on the WDR board, called for greater public scrutiny of public broadcasting budgets. “The problem of the growth in (license) fees shows that the system is out of control.”

Critics have seized on specifics, one being prime-time political talk shows, of which five are regularly scheduled. Subjects and guests are always the same, said a scathing report in Der Spiegel, which also quoted an internal memo from ARD program director Volker Herres suggesting at least one talk show could be cut. German newspaper publishers never let up on public broadcasting, howling most about news programming, new media and the license fee.

With “mixed feelings,” former ARD chairman, WDR director general and European Broadcasting Union (EBU) president Fritz Pleitgen also questioned the over-abundance of prime-time TV talk shows. “On the one hand they are entertaining,” he said to Frankfurter Allgemeinen Zeitung (FAZ) (January 7). “On the other hand, five talk shows in the evening…(is) just too much of a good thing, especially since they displace valuable formats like documentaries or reporting. When it comes to education, a documentary has more depth than a talk show.”

“ARD has a lot to offer.”  Documentaries, he suggested, could compete with those of UK public broadcaster BBC, “which sell internationally at a good price.”

None of the prime-time talk shows will be dumped, said Mr. Marmor, to Der Spiegel (January 7). “There not always the same guests,” he rebutted. “There are more women on the programs.” Three of the five prime-time talk shows are produced by NDR, the other two by WDR.

But it is the license fee – and public broadcasting funding generally – that rattles the sabers. The new collection system is universal, with very few exemptions. Unofficial estimates suggest a boost to public broadcaster’s coffers between €300 million and €1.47 billion through 2016 over the €7.5 billion distributed among regional radio and television broadcasters, ARD, ZDF and national radio service Deutschland Rundfunk.

“When it comes to significant additional revenue,” said KEF managing director Horst Wegner to Handelsblatt (January 8), “a reduction in the license fee is imaginable.” The KEF is the federal agency charged with ascertaining the financial needs of public broadcasting in Germany, ultimately the license fee rates and size. “A reduction in (license) fees earlier that January 2015 is conceivable.” The KEF has postponed a report on the future of German public broadcast license fees until late March.

See also in ftm Knowledge

Media in Germany

Home to Europe's biggest broadcasters and publishers, Germany is a highly competitive media market. Transition to digital television was easy, other media not so simple, unsuprising with Germany's complex regulation and business structures. This Knowledge file reports on media leaders and followers. Includes Resources 214 pages PDF (July 2013)

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