- Hessen secures revision of broadcasting fee correspondence
After complaints from Hesse, the fee collection service of the public broadcaster is planning to revise a letter they sent to clubs. The Hessian Ministry for Deregulation and the Hessian State Sports Association had expressed concerns about the original letter, claiming it failed to mention that non-profit clubs with volunteers are exempt from broadcasting fees.
The letter was phrased in a way that might lead recipients to believe they were required to pay. "Non-profit clubs are being encouraged to pay fees they shouldn't have to," criticized Deregulation Minister Manfred Pentz (CDU). "It's like a scam targeting the elderly."
A spokesperson for the fee collection service confirmed that changes would be made to the letter within the next month. The required information is already available on their website rundfunkbeitrag.de.
The fee collection service is an administrative body of ARD, ZDF, and Deutschlandradio, having evolved from the broadcasting fee collection center of public broadcasters (GEZ) in 2013. Initial reports of the letter appeared in the "Bild" newspaper.
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"The actions of GEZ were harmful to non-profit clubs," said Pentz. "Those who contribute positively to society should be aided by the state, not deceived. Clubs with small clubhouses, sports halls, or business premises are exempt from fee obligations as long as only volunteers work there."
The minister emphasized that the state had successfully pushed for the letter's revision and urged people to use the state's bureaucracy hotline. "You can report unnecessary regulations, as well as issues like this," said Pentz. In this instance, the Hessian State Sports Association had brought the matter to their attention. The association represents over 7,400 sports clubs in Hesse.
The initial report about the problematic letter was featured in the "Bild" newspaper. After recognizing concerns from various parties, including the Hessian Ministry for Deregulation and the Hessian State Sports Association, the fee collection service decided to revise the letter to better clarify the exemptions for non-profit clubs.
