

A federal structure, the renunciation of state influence and the avoidance of economic dependence were to be the key of the radio and TV institutions under public law ( öffentlich-rechtliche Rundfunk- und Fernsehanstalten, public radio and television organisations). The winning Allies of World War II determined that German radio after World War II would not broadcast the same propaganda as the pre-war Reichs-Rundfunk-Gesellschaft ("Reich Broadcasting Company"). With the Rundfunkfreiheit (freedom of broadcasting), they have an independent position (within a legal framework). ARD-members like BR ( Bayerischer Rundfunk) are not owned by their Land (state and its government, here Bavaria), either. ARD is not 'owned by' anybody, particularly not by "Germany" (meaning its government/federal state). ‡public-law broadcasting institutions means broadcasters which are not privately owned (German: Privatradio and Privatfernsehen) and are not governmental radio or TV.

"das Zweite" ("The Second"), which started 1963, as a separate public TV-broadcaster. The fees are not collected directly by the ARD, but by the Beitragsservice (formerly known as Gebühreneinzugszentrale GEZ), a common organisation of the ARD member broadcasters, the second public TV broadcaster ZDF, and Deutschlandradio.ĪRD maintains and operates a national television network, called Das Erste ("The First") to differentiate it from ZDF, a.k.a. Households living on welfare are exempt from the fee. For an ordinary household the fee is currently €18.36 per month. The budget comes primarily from a licence fee which every household, company and public institution are required by law to pay. The ARD has a budget of €6.9 billion, 22,612 employees and is the largest public broadcaster network in the world. It was founded in 1950 in West Germany to represent the common interests of the new, decentralised, post-war broadcasting services – in particular the introduction of a joint television network. ARD-Hauptstadtstudio (ARD Capital Studio) in BerlinĪRD is a joint organisation of Germany's regional public-service broadcasters.
