It cannot be said that renewal would be rash. The commission for the determination of the financial needs (KEF) of the broadcasting corporations consists predominantly of older men. And just a woman. This body examines how high the financial needs of public service broadcasting are – and thus the broadcasting fee that each household pays.
The current occupation was formed in 2017, each federal state sends an expert, a term of office lasts five years. The average age is 62 years. At the age of 47, media scientist Christian Möller is the youngest member of the 16-person committee. He was sent from Schleswig-Holstein in 2017. The oldest KEF member is Werner Jann, 71 years old, sent from Brandenburg. So now: renewal.
You know, one of them says, I’m 70 years old. At 69, someone else, I wanted to quit anyway
At the end of December, when the current term of office ends, six of the 16 members are to leave the KEF – namely those from North Rhine-Westphalia, Lower Saxony, Bavaria, Berlin, Brandenburg and Thuringia. In the past there have always been arguments when one of the experts should leave the Commission, which is only possible at the end of a term of office. Also in this year?
If you ask around with those who are going to leave, it sounds more like a sigh of relief instead of standing up. You know, says one of them, I’m 70 years old, so other people can take it from time to time. At 69, according to another, I had planned for a long time that I would quit. No she wanted to stop, assures Marion Claßen-Beblo, the only woman on the committee, she too will leave the KEF. So all in all, the tenor among those who leave is: Now younger people should take it.
From the dispute over the radio license fee, which the Federal Constitutional Court had ended at the beginning of August with its ruling that an increase of 86 cents was constitutional, the KEF emerged strengthened. The commission had recommended an adjustment of the contribution from January 2021, the judges followed this recommendation insofar as the contribution is now increased retrospectively to July 20, 2021.
In October, the prime ministers are to appoint the 16 members for the new term of office at their annual conference. It remains to be seen how the Commission will be made up in future – and how it will then assess the financial requirements. According to the industry portal “Medienkorrespondenz”, it was pointed out in the circle of federal states that women should be given greater consideration.