HALLE (dpa-AFX) – ‘Mitteldeutsche Zeitung’ on broadcasting fee:
The broadcasters currently receive more than 8.5 billion euros per year. That should be enough to set up a modern and reliable program. At its core, public broadcasting is a proven, correct institution that is committed to quality. ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandfunk are important for democracy – but far too expensive. The construction and structure date from the post-war period. What we are looking for is a vision for modern, future-proof broadcasting. But a thicket of political interests has so far prevented more radical reform approaches. It would be good for ARD and ZDF to be able to concentrate on core tasks instead of, for example, producing hundreds of mediocre crime films every year. In the fight for their future, the broadcasters must not mess with society. So what now? It’s politics’ turn. She should be strict./yyzz/DP/mis