ZDF director Norbert Himmler is against a merger with ARD. “I think it’s wrong to question the journalistic competition between ARD and ZDF. I think it’s essential,” said the head of Second German Television (ZDF) in Mainz in an interview with the German Press Agency. “It is important that we in Germany have a public service broadcaster that is also in competition at key points and therefore also promotes plurality, diversity and quality.”
Himmler added: “Imagine if we only had one public news program in Germany or just one station reporting on elections. That would be a concentration of power in one hand, which is particularly important at a time when power is being demanded to be distributed as much as possible should be is really wrong.”
In the debate about public service broadcasting, the idea of a merger of ZDF and ARD has recently been discussed more intensively. A trigger for this was a speech by the director of the largest ARD broadcaster Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), Tom Buhrow, a few weeks ago. In it he had suggested a far-reaching reorganization of the broadcasting landscape and also touched on the topic of fusion.
Buhrow also suggested fusion
With a view to the ARD joint program Das Erste and the main program of ZDF, Buhrow had formulated: “The first question – I think – that we have to ask ourselves is: Does Germany want to continue having two nationwide, linear television channels in parallel in the 21st century? If not: What does that mean? Should one disappear altogether and the other stay? Or should they merge and the best of both remain?”
Public broadcasting has been under increasing criticism for months. In the summer, the scandal in the ARD broadcaster Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) about allegations at the top gradually came to light.
The broadcasting contribution with which households and companies in Germany finance the broadcasters of ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio is also being discussed at the moment. It is 18.36 euros per month, which means more than eight billion euros a year. The current contribution period runs until 2024.
Broadcasters also record additional costs
In the coming months, the broadcasters are to register their financial planning for the next few years with the independent finance commission KEF – this is how the amount of the broadcasting fee is determined via a procedure. The Finance Committee makes a recommendation. The federal states have the last word, they set the amount in a state treaty. Media policy is a state matter.
Like many other media houses and other economic sectors, ZDF is feeling price increases that are due, among other things, to the corona pandemic and the energy price crisis. Intendant Himmler said in a dpa interview: “We also have price increases here on ZDF.”
The director cited higher production prices for external producers as an example. “In the past two and a half years of the pandemic, we have raised more than 50 million euros in additional costs caused by the pandemic from our budget without having applied for more money. But that also has its limits at some point. That’s why what’s happening now coming up with the price increase, also something we have to take into account when filing for KEF.”
Union politicians want to freeze the contribution
At the same time he said: “We are well advised to register appropriately and moderately. We register what is actually important and necessary to be able to fulfill our mission. No more, but also no less.”
Recently, under the impression of the RBB scandal, several politicians had brought into play a freeze on the broadcasting fee. These included Bavaria’s Prime Minister Markus Söder (CSU) and Saxony-Anhalt’s Prime Minister Reiner Haseloff (CDU). Both sit on the board of directors of ZDF, which acts as a control body for questions of profitability in the station.
When asked about the statements made by the two politicians, Himmler said: “The prime ministers who are on the board of directors know from their own experience how responsible ZDF is, especially when it comes to budget issues.”
Himmler: Job cuts reached the limit
The ZDF director added: “I find it understandable that we have a public debate about the type and scope and also the financing of public broadcasting. But one must not overlook the fact that we have a very good and powerful system overall. “
Further job cuts in the station with its headquarters in Mainz and around 3,500 employees are not pending. Himmler made it clear: “We’ve cut almost 600 jobs in the last ten years. We’ve reached a limit there.” He also emphasized: “If you compare the ratio of employees and budget in ZDF with other public broadcasters, you will find that ZDF is lean.” The biggest challenge is that by 2030 over 1000 colleagues will leave ZDF because they are retiring. “We must therefore be an attractive employer for new colleagues.”
