Outrage about VfGH judgment: 95% of the citizens reject ORF fees!

Outrage about VfGH judgment: 95% of the citizens reject ORF fees!

Österreich - The latest decision by the Constitutional Court (VfGH) To collect ORF fees, has ensured great outrage in public. According to a recent survey by Exxpress, in which 1208 people took part, 95 % of the respondents find the judgment unjust. The VfGH classifies the ORF fees as constitutional, which leads to a broad rejection in the population. The Freedom Party of Austria (FPÖ) even accused the VfGH "botch", while the Exxpress columnist Andreas Unterberger describes the judgment as the "joke and annoyance of the year".

The controversial judgment of the VfGH states that users of ORF programs also have to pay a program fee on the Internet. So far, these users have been freed from payment, which the VfGH classified as unconstitutional. The legislator now has time to implement a new regulation by the end of 2023. Currently, households that pay broadcasting fees pay 18.59 euros per month, which can increase to 22.45 to EUR 28.65. This raises the question of whether the financing of the ORF is still sustainable in its previous form.

Financial consequences and political reactions

The ORF itself welcomed the VfGH's judgment. He sees the opportunity to ensure the financing by all users and estimates that the closure of the streaming gap could generate annual income of five to six million euros. The Greens are confirmed by the judgment and are calling for a reform of the ORF law. In the political debate, the NEOS party also expresses joy about the judgment, but they are calling for a socially staggered budget tax to close the streaming gap. On the other hand, the FPÖ wants to abolish the GIS fee to relieve the citizens.

The discussion about the financing of public service broadcasting is not new. The public service broadcasting, whose survival in the digital media landscape is of crucial importance, is often the focus of public and political debates. As in Germany, it can also be seen in Austria that independence and financing of public service broadcasting are often determined by legal requirements and political influences. Historically, public broadcasting was founded after 1945, strongly characterized by British and American ideas, with the aim of creating a democratic broadcasting that is not influenced by state or political interests.

The Federal Constitutional Court in Germany has always emphasized in its judgments that broadcasting freedom is central to democracy and requires specific precautions to ensure it. Digitization also changes the media landscape and leads to a fragmentation of the information, which underlines the relevance of public service broadcasting today.

Regardless of the political discussion, the fundamental question of the financing of public service broadcasting remains. The upcoming reforms will not only affect the fee structure, but also the future role of ORF in the context of a rapidly changing media landscape.