Anyone following recent debates on media issues knows that the call for fundamental reforms in public service broadcasting is getting louder and louder.

And it resounds from politics too.

The topic was on the agenda in the state parliaments of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia.

The heads of the state chancellery informed the deputies about the amendment to the media state treaty.

This reformulates the broadcasting mandate of the public broadcaster.

The state parliaments must give their approval to the state treaty at the beginning of next year.

In Magdeburg and Dresden, the directors of MDR and ZDF, Karola Wille and Norbert Himmler, and ARD chairman Tom Buhrow used the opportunity to explain their broadcasters' economic plans.

There were many critical questions at the media committee meetings:

What conclusions do the broadcasters draw from the affairs at RBB and NDR?

How do they use their earnings?

What is your program?

The alleged "single case RBB"

The MPs, Markus Kurz, the media policy spokesman for the CDU parliamentary group in the Saxony-Anhalt state parliament, stated in an interview with the FAZ, criticized the fact that the broadcasters, since the state parliaments last dealt intensively with the public service two years ago broadcasting, apparently have hardly changed anything.

As before, voices that spoke of the “individual case RBB” dominated in the ARD.

At the same time, other broadcasters, such as NDR, BR, MDR or WDR, have become aware of incidents that fit neither the mandate nor the concerns of a public broadcaster.

Andreas Nowak, media policy spokesman for the CDU parliamentary group in the Saxon state parliament, believes that the organizational structure of the supervisory bodies must be changed.

As a rule, the legal director of the MDR answers the legal questions of the broadcasting council, which is supposed to control the broadcaster.

The committee office for broadcasting and the board of directors sits next door to the directorship.

Does that enable good control? Asks Nowak.

As far as reducing costs, better supervision and offers for really everyone are concerned, public service broadcasting does not have to wait for politicians, but can act on their own.

Christian Herrgott, Secretary General of the Thuringian CDU and also media policy spokesman for his parliamentary group, calls for a general examination of the salary structures of all ARD stations, ZDF and Deutschlandradio,

including the subsidiaries.

In addition, it should be checked whether the activities of the subsidiaries are compatible with the program mandate.

So far, Kurz says, there have been no majorities in the federal states for the many proposals for structural reform that are worthy of the name and came from Saxony-Anhalt, among other places.

It was demanded that public service broadcasting should be streamlined in order to keep broadcasting fees stable.

In view of the recent misconduct at ARD, there has finally been movement in the debate.

“I register a veritable outbidding competition for ideas.

But these should now also be implemented seriously, ”says the CDU politician.

The chances are good, because the reform plans are supported by all factions of the CDU/CSU.

The Union governs in several countries and could now submit these questions.

Among other things, she calls for a salary cap for the directors of around 200,000 euros per year.

The boards of directors need more independent expertise and the ARD needs uniform compliance rules.

All three media politicians are in favor of reforming the MDR state contract soon in order to strengthen the supervisory bodies and change the salary structure.

"I think we will get back to the MDR state treaty more quickly than was foreseeable a year ago," says Nowak.

The CDU parliamentary groups have great expectations of the meeting of the Broadcasting Commission on September 21st and 22nd.

They hope that some of the current proposals will be incorporated into the State Media Treaty.

At the turn of the year, the state parliaments discuss and vote on the state treaty.

The CDU parliamentary groups in Saxony-Anhalt and Thuringia tend to agree to the amendment.

Saxony is still undecided.

"At the moment it is too early to make a decision," says Andreas Nowak.