The director of West German Broadcasting (WDR), Tom Buhrow, has spoken out in favor of major broadcasting reform and a new social contract for public broadcasters.
“My firm impression is that Germany doesn’t seem to want us to the same extent in ten years – and also want to finance it as it does today,” said the 64-year-old on Wednesday evening in front of the Übersee-Club in Hamburg, which regularly has high-ranking representatives business, politics and culture. The “Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung” published the speech.
The director, who expressly did not speak in his capacity as the current ARD chairman, but spoke for himself, suggested key points for the reform. “Firstly, we have to break out of the previous system of state chancellery here and broadcaster there. Secondly, we need a round table to work out a new social contract. A kind of constituent assembly for our new, non-profit broadcasting.” Thirdly, there should be no taboos or bans on thinking at this round table. Buhrow also spoke of reliability and security for at least one generation.
“Further two nationwide, linear television channels?”
A new intellectual start is needed without the typical self-defense reflexes, von Buhrow continued, referring to the ARD joint program Das Erste and the main program of ZDF: “The first question – I think – that we have to ask ourselves is is: Does Germany in the 21st century want to continue to have two nationwide, linear television channels in parallel? If not: What does that mean? Should one disappear completely and the other stay? Or should they merge and the best of both will remain?”
The speech also dealt with the future design of the ARD regional programs and the role of orchestras, big bands and choirs. In addition, Buhrow campaigned for an open discussion about nationwide radio, which has not yet existed within the ARD.
The director of the largest ARD broadcaster also took up his idea of a single large media library in public broadcasting in 2030, which he had expressed years ago. So far, ARD and ZDF have been working together in a more networked manner, but they continue to have independent media libraries.
“Not to solve transmitter for transmitter”
The WDR boss and former “Tagesthemen” moderator also addressed the topic of transmitter mergers in the ARD and referred to RBB or SWR with a view to the history, which emerged from two stations each. Behind this is the important question of how many independent broadcasters should be part of the federal structure and diversity in Germany. “This will not be solved by broadcaster by broadcaster and state by state – but only in a larger context.”
In his speech, Buhrow addressed sensitive topics such as mergers, which can also be heard from politics from time to time. The federal states are responsible for media policy in Germany and describe the mandate and structure of public service broadcasting in state treaties. It is not about the specific content of the program. The principle of remoteness from the state applies to journalistic content, broadcasters are guaranteed freedom of broadcasting by the Basic Law. Instead, the countries decide, for example, how many programs the broadcasters should offer or what the structure of the control bodies in the media houses should look like.
In recent years, the houses have already been encouraged to save, and many jobs have been lost. Pension entitlements are financially challenging for the houses. There has also been repeated criticism of the broadcasters from politicians that they themselves do not initiate reforms decisively enough. The broadcasters, on the other hand, refer to the role of politics, which determines the scope of the broadcasters through state treaties.
Different allegations
Most recently, the debate about the public service was rekindled – triggered by turbulence at Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) and Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR). There had been different allegations against management personnel. The Berlin Public Prosecutor’s Office is even investigating RBB, where allegations of nepotism are concerned. The presumption of innocence applies until clarification.
The federal states are already reforming public service broadcasting, which is financed by broadcasting contributions. Households currently pay EUR 18.36 per month. The task at hand is to adjust the order and the structure. The financing of broadcasting is to follow in a second reform step.
