AfD Kompakt, April 14, 2021
I am very happy that the majority of the delegates have followed
our motion and that the demand for a slimmed down home broadcasting, the “Grundfunk”, is now a part of our Bundestag
election program. It is high time for a durable structural reform of public
broadcasting [Öffentilich-Rechtlichen].
The introduction of a Grundfunk would
mean not only the complete withdrawal from the forced contributions but, by
means of sharpening the programs, would make ARD, ZDF Co. into a show window of
the regions – more documentation, education and culture – more Heimat. Concretely, that means: There
will be maintained or constructed regional studios in which the broadcasters [Sender] will no longer take part in the bidding
competition for expensive sports rights.
The Grundfunk
would much better expand the media landscape because it would concentrate on
what the profit-oriented private firms cannot or will not carry. For that, many
billions would no longer be required in the future. The AfD wants to cut the
volume of financing by up to 90%. According to the Grundfunk model, the financing shall proceed from a levy which large
media concerns offering audio-visual media have to pay. It is then possible for
them to offer Grundfunk format on
their platforms after a first showing. According to our concepts, the control of
the broadcaster will be exercised by means of an elected viewer parliament and
an independent experts council.
The AfD is the only party which for years is consistently
committed to a structural reform of public broadcasting and one which itself
has developed a logical reform model which stands on a sensible basic service –
and at the same time redeems the promises of a complete abolition of the
broadcasting contribution. The Grundfunk –
I am sure – will surely be spoken of in the course of the election campaign and
decisively shape the debate over the future of the billions of public
broadcasting in the digital age.
[trans: tem]
