As of: February 18, 2024, 7:02 p.m
By: Katja Kraft
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The top earner on ZDF: According to “Welt am Sonntag”, ZDF talk show host Markus Lanz is said to receive around 1.9 million euros in fees per year from the Mainz broadcaster.
© Andreas Ortner
“Welt am Sonntag” has published internal ZDF documents.
The report reveals how much moderators like Markus Lanz, Horst Lichter and Oliver Welke earn.
An overview.
The show is unforgettable - because it caused a small scandal in the media industry.
In his ZDF talk show in January 2014, presenter Markus Lanz questioned the then left-wing politician Sahra Wagenknecht all too brusquely, including about what she actually earned in the European Parliament.
"How much?
How much do you earn there?", when Wagenknecht wanted to answer - "I think it's currently 7,000 euros or so in the European Parliament," Lanz interrupted her: "You get it a month." There was criticism of the amount Sum with.
After the broadcast, a viewer published a petition on the Internet calling on ZDF to part ways with its presenter Lanz.
Ten years later, Lanz's salary is now the center of attention.
Because “Welt am Sonntag” published the public broadcaster’s payments to its top earners in its current issue.
At the top of the list of “secret fees from ZDF stars”: Markus Lanz.
The 54-year-old is expected to earn around 1.9 million euros annually from his show.
According to the report, next year it will be around two million euros.
Cash for Horst Lichter: The television chef is a top earner on ZDF.
© Frank W. Hempel
Even TV chef Horst Lichter can't complain about not having enough cash: According to internal ZDF documents available to "Welt am Sonntag", the presenter earns 1.7 million euros per year from the ZDF cult show "Bares für Rares".
In third place on the fee list is “heute Show” presenter Oliver Welke, who is said to collect 1.2 million euros annually.
Now it is the case that, for example, Markus Lanz or Jan Böhmermann (ZDF annual fee according to “Welt am Sonntag”: 682,000 euros) have their own companies to produce the programs.
The report does not reveal what sums will flow to them.
“ZDF did not want to comment on the individual contracts.
In response to an extensive inquiry about each individual fee agreement, the broadcaster simply stated that no information could be given about the conditions of the 'freelance employees', among other things, 'for data protection reasons'," the newspaper writes.
So it is not clear what the fees cover.
Likes to provoke – and earns well with it: Jan Böhmermann.
© Rolf Vennenbernd
After Markus Lanz (1.9 million euros), the following presenters follow on the list of ZDF top salaries listed by “Welt am Sonntag”: Horst Lichter (1.7 million euros), Oliver Welke (1, 2 million euros), Jan Böhmermann (682,000 euros), Johannes B. Kerner (630,000), Maybrit Illner (480,000), Andrea Kiewel (400,000), Marietta Slomka (393,750), Rudi Cerne (382,000), Christian Sievers (350,000), Mai Thi Leiendecker (349,000), Giovanni Zarella (300,000).
There is hot debate about increasing the broadcasting fee
In view of the figures mentioned in the report, as well as the annual salary of around 630,000 euros for presenter Johannes B. Kerner or 480,000 euros for presenter Maybrit Illner, the article intensifies the current discussion about a possible increase in the broadcasting fee.
As reported, the Commission for determining the financial needs of broadcasters (KEF) has proposed a further increase in the contribution: by 58 cents to 18.94 euros per household per month.
In 2022, the public broadcasters received around 8.57 billion euros from the broadcasting fee, the largest single amount went to Mainz - to ZDF - at 2.2 billion euros.
But the truth is that those responsible for the station seem to be using the money well: As reported, ZDF remained the most popular television station in Germany in 2023.
Last year the second achieved a market share of 14.6 percent.
And was the market leader for the twelfth time in a row.