TV licence fee system to change

The licence fee for public TV and radio broadcast reception in Germany is to change into a flat-rate universal household payment, reports Rapid TV News. The decision to change the system was announced on the 9th June in Berlin. Previously payment of a fee was dependant on the existence of suitable reception device/devices in a household. The change which will come into effect from the 1st January 2013 will mean that the new fee has to be paid independent of the existence and type of reception devices being used.
As a result of the change, ARD, ZDF and national public radio broadcaster Deutschlandradio will come in to line with cultural and educational institutions such as schools, universities and theatres for which every citizen has to pay a contribution, whether they use them or not. The exact fee still has to be determined, but it is understood that it won’t exceed the current level of €17.98 per month.
As every household will have to pay the fee, the new system also puts an end to the much criticised detective-style investigations by licence fee collection organisation GEZ to uncover non-payers.
Source: Rapid TV News
Item added: 11th June 2010