GIS is history – Weißmann and Raab plan ORF household fee

Media Minister Susanne Raab (ÖVP) and ORF Director General Roland Weißmann have agreed on a new form of financing for the ORF. This means that in future all households would have to make their contribution to ORF funding – regardless of how many people live in a household, whether a receiver is available or whether the service of the public broadcaster is used. The subject of the negotiations is a monthly fee of EUR 16.50 per household.

According to the ruling of the Constitutional Court, the current form of collecting the program fee will expire at the end of 2023. This demands the closing of the streaming gap because it is contrary to equality. The GIS was last increased by eight percent to EUR 18.59 in February 2022, including sales tax, the monthly amount rose to EUR 20.45.

With further federal taxes, 22.45 euros per month were due, but only in Upper Austria and Vorarlberg, which do not levy any state taxes on the GIS. Including state taxes, the monthly GIS payments in the other federal states increased to up to 28.65 euros (Styria). The state share is also likely to remain in the household levy.

When asked by OÖN, Raab did not want to talk about an agreement, but let it be known that talks with the green coalition partner on this issue were only just beginning. But she could “imagine an ORF contribution per household” due to the ORF’s tough austerity measures. She again emphasized that the ORF had to become significantly cheaper.

• ZIB 1: ORF financing through household levy

Weißmann will present a budget path for the next few years with tough austerity measures to the board of trustees on Monday, the media ministry said. “Where savings are made is up to the ORF.” Expected amount of savings: around 300 million euros. Only in the fall did Weißmann warn of losses in the millions, among other things because of sharply increased costs.

The Greens said that the household levy had always been a “green proposal and preferred model”. According to SPÖ media spokesman Jörg Leichtfried, it is crucial for the SPÖ that every new financing model ensures the independence of the ORF and is socially acceptable.

“Abolish the right to be heard”

Neos media spokeswoman Henrike Brandstötter welcomed the idea of ​​a household fee, the decisive factor being that it would be significantly cheaper for people. “In addition, we call for the abolition of the state governors’ right to be heard when appointing the ORF state directors and for a real depoliticization of the ORF.” The FPÖ criticized the household fee, saying that everyone would pay a “compulsory fee” with it, even if there was no radio, TV or Internet in the household.

In Germany, the license fee was replaced by the household fee in 2013. The monthly costs are currently 18.36 euros. In Switzerland, the broadcasting household fee is currently the equivalent of 28.20 euros.