The future of the broadcasting contribution remains open. The Broadcasting Commission of the Länder is due to present a proposal by June 2019 on which model the level will be determined in the future. The country leaders decided on Thursday in Berlin.

The focus of the considerations is an index model, said the Rhineland-Palatinate Prime Minister Malu Dreyer (SPD), which is also chairwoman of the Broadcasting Commission of the countries. The model was brought into play last year by a group of six states; Contribution development here is linked to the inflation rate.

more on the subject

Broadcasting debate "No system can afford that much waste of money"

Currently, the broadcasting fee is 17.50 euros per household per month, the amount of contributions is redefined every four years. The new index model could be implemented at the earliest from the year 2023. Dreyer said the future contribution must be accepted by the citizens. At the same time, broadcasters would have to make more austerity efforts.

The current contribution amount is only valid until the end of 2020. The public broadcasters must register their financial requirements for the following years by the end of April. The Commission for the Determination of the Funding Requirements of Broadcasters (KEF) will then submit a proposal on the amount of contributions in early 2020. Then the country leaders decide about it.

"From the point of view of the state, it is and remains important that these applications are moderate on-demand notifications because they should be the basis for the future financing model," Dreyer said. She reminded ARD and ZDF once again to more thriftiness. The savings proposals of the institutions of September 2017 are not sufficient for the prime minister. There is still scope for production costs and administration.

Saxony-Anhalt's Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff (CDU) also called for further efforts: "The savings proposals presented by the public broadcasters do not yet meet expectations," he said. In addition, before deciding on a new model, numerous questions still need to be clarified - "both in principle and in detail". Important from his point of view is a strong involvement of the parliaments.

The ARD Chairman Ulrich Wilhelm told the German Press Agency on Thursday on request with: "An index model we consider a basically feasible way, as long as the principles of a needs-based financing and the legal framework are observed."

It depends on the specific design. The ARD is ready to accompany the countries constructively. "At the same time, we as ARD are behind our commitments to ongoing austerity and reforms," ​​said Wilhelm. "Since 2009, the available ARD contribution has been below the consumer price index and well below the media-specific inflation."

In the past, Wilhelm had repeatedly demanded that the broadcasting fee be increased significantly, so that the institutions could fulfill their program task. Last year, he even called for a modernization of the KEF process.