Markwort is the first broadcasting councilor to demand that the GEZ fee must go down

An Insa survey commissioned for “Bild” showed that 35 percent of Germans no longer want to pay broadcasting fees. In return, they would accept not being able to receive stations such as ARD, ZDF and more than 80 other channels. 13 percent would pay up to 4.99 euros per month, another 16 percent up to 9.99 euros. Ten percent would pay a maximum of 14.99 euros, another six percent would be willing to pay up to 18.35 euros.

As the first broadcasting council in Germany, Helmut Markwort now advocates that the fees should be drastically reduced. He told FOCUS online: “The survey is alarming. I sense a great deal of annoyance among people towards the public broadcasters. This is because they are too expensive and too one-sided, but also because of the many scandals.”

Key word: “The broadcasting fee must go down”

The long-standing FOCUS editor-in-chief continues: “The broadcasting fee must go down, but the costs must first come down. If we were to reform the public service, around 12 euros would be enough as a broadcasting fee.” And: “Not all stations have to do everything themselves. I support competence centers that then take care of the big issues across the board. We have to dissolve the multiple structures.”

The broadcasting fee is currently 18.36 euros per month for an apartment. Seven percent would continue to pay this amount. Five percent of respondents would want to pay more.

The CDU politician Julia Klöckner rejects an increase in fees. “Citizens are not satisfied with the public broadcasters, especially when the majority of the population is to be re-educated linguistically or the reporting is too one-sided,” she told the “Bild” newspaper.

The media policy spokesman for the SPD parliamentary group, Helge Lindh, told the newspaper that it was good that the institutions did not have to decide on their own finances. Even politicians cannot decide at will. “The post follows the brief,” added Lindh.