Penalties threaten: Innovation in broadcasting fees could be expensive for many

Created: 02/16/2022, 16:41

By: Jan Trieselmann

There is a major change in payment for the broadcasting contribution from ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio.

It affects millions of people across Germany and can result in fines.

(symbol photo) © Marius Becker/dpa

Big change in the broadcasting fee for ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio: Payers have to forego important help - high fines could be the result.

Cologne – The broadcasting fee is controversial for many people in Germany.

Many see no reason to pay fees for the public television and radio stations, including ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio.

In Great Britain, for example, broadcasting fees are now on the brink of extinction.

Even parts of German politics are calling for a radical downsizing of public broadcasters.

However, the broadcasting fee is now the focus of public attention because an important aid for the payer is no longer available.

Almost 46 million people have to pay the broadcasting license fee of 18.36 euros per month, which only increased by 86 cents last August.

The ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Contribution Service based in Cologne (North Rhine-Westphalia) usually settles the amounts for the broadcasting fee quarterly - 55.08 euros every three months and thus almost 220 euros a year.

But anyone who uses the transmitter without paying the license fee must expect the consequences: just last year, a man had to go to prison because he had not paid the license fee.

Big change in broadcasting fees: Millions of people are threatened with fines

Some of those who pay the fee make use of the help of the ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Submissions Service: If you do not pay the broadcasting fee on time, the Submissions Service will notify you by letter - without this being an immediate payment reminder.

But that should be the end of it now.

As several media, including the Westfälische Anzeiger (wa.de), report, the contribution service will soon no longer be sending out this information letter on the broadcast contribution.

Instead, the payers themselves must ensure that they pay the fees on time – otherwise there is a risk of high fines.

No more payment reminders for broadcasting fees: These fines are imminent

According to the contribution service, those who do not pay by direct debit now receive “a payment request in which the amount to be paid and the four payment terms of the year are noted”, a spokesman explains to wa.de the change in the contribution service for the broadcasting fee*.

"This request for payment and the payment dates specified therein apply until something changes in the amount of the contribution," it continues.

Until the sum changes, there will be no more letters.

Wer den Rundfunkbeitrag nicht binnen vier Wochen beglichen hat, nachdem die Zahlung fällig geworden ist, erhält dann einen Festsetzungsbescheid. Damit entsteht laut Webseite des Rundfunkbeitrags ein Säumniszuschlag von einem Prozent des insgesamt fälligen Betrags, „mindestens aber 8 Euro.“ Als Zeitpunkt für die Zahlung bietet der Beitragsservice verschiedene Optionen an, weshalb der Zuschlag unterschiedlich hoch ausfallen kann – gesetzlich vorgesehen ist dabei der vierteljährliche Rhythmus:

• Gängig ist es, den Rundfunkbeitrag in der Mitte der Quartale zu bezahlen – also immer zum 15. Februar, Mai, August und November und damit viermal im Jahr zu je 55,08 Euro.
• Auch zum Ersten eines Quartals können Zahlungspflichtige die Gebühren zu je 55,08 Euro entrichten.

• In addition, there is also a semi-annual payment option for the first half of the year - costs: 110.16 euros.

• If you wish, you can also pay the entire annual broadcasting fee of EUR 220.32 in advance on the first of the new year.

At the request of wa.de, the spokesman for the contribution service explains the reason for the change: "The broadcasting fee is due by law, so there is no need for a payment request." The contribution service now wants to make work processes more efficient and save costs - especially since the postage has become more expensive.

The same applies to wood and thus paper.

In addition, it is pointed out that "material resources" should be saved, reports the Westfälischer Anzeiger.

Change in the broadcasting fee: Security against fines only with direct debit

Anyone who fears missing the time to pay the license fee can help themselves in other ways in addition to their own reminders in the calendar.

The ARD ZDF Germany radio contribution service has been promoting collecting the broadcasting contribution by direct debit for a long time.

This procedure should now take noticeably more people to complete.

Among other things, the public broadcasters use the broadcasting fee to finance their own programs: for example, a certain part of the broadcasting fee goes into the crime scene.

(Jan Trieselmann)

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