End as early as next year? Famous German TV channel threatened with closure
Public broadcasting is to be streamlined. Current plans by the federal states would mean the end of the cultural channel 3sat, among other things. Opposition to this is forming in the social media.
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- The reform treaty of the federal states could dissolve the cultural channel 3sat in favor of ARTE in order to reduce costs.
- Critics warn of a cultural loss and demand savings on sports rights instead.
- The reform is currently in the consultation phase, with a possible implementation date of summer 2025.
How much should public service broadcasting cost fee-payers - and how many channels are enough to meet the program mandate? Questions such as these have been increasingly discussed since the federal states published their planned reform treaty for ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio. The aim is to streamline structures and reduce costs. Two established broadcasters are particularly affected by the plans.
According to the draft guidelines, one of the two cultural channels ARTE and 3sat is too many. At least in their current form as a full program. The program brand 3sat would probably be affected. The channel, which is jointly operated by ARD, ZDF, the Austrian ORF and the Swiss SRG, is to be "partially or completely" transferred to the ARTE program and its digital offerings, according to the letter.
In fact, this could mean the end of 3sat. Especially as Switzerland is considering "reducing its involvement in 3sat or withdrawing completely" for cost reasons, as the industry service "Meedia" reports.
Armin Wolf: "3sat would be an extreme loss"
The plans that have become public have triggered sharp criticism on the short message service X (formerly Twitter). For example, ORF journalist Armin Wolf, presenter of the news program "ZiB2", wrote: "3sat would be an extreme loss - and not just because ZiB2 is also watched by many people in Germany and Switzerland."
Writer and MEP Sibylle Berg comments sarcastically on the plan: "It makes perfect sense to discontinue one of the two brilliant linear channels that still exist. Who needs education, culture, science and good films when sport and love stories are more suitable for dumbing people down?"
"You could also cancel the expensive football rights, or Florian Silbereisen"
Non-celebrity voices are also speaking out in favor of the endangered cultural channel. "The proposal to merge 3sat and ARTE is such incredible stupidity," writes one X user. "It really does take the axe to the very justification of public broadcasting. Because it is precisely the cultural program that is criminally neglected by the private broadcasters." Another suggests: "You could also cancel the expensive football rights, or Florian Silbereisen, as an idea."
However, the decision to cut 3sat has not yet been made. The draft of the Interstate Treaty on Broadcasting Reform will first enter a consultation phase. According to the federal states, the reform could come into force in summer 2025. Other special-interest channels would then also be affected. The information offerings of Tagesschau24, Phoenix, ARD-alpha and ZDFinfo are to be bundled, as are the channels ZDFneo and ONE, which are designed for young audiences.
Broadcasters, associations and members of the public have until October 11 to leave their comments on the planned reform.