Employees and the Economic Situation of Broadcasting in Germany

After the collapse of the advertising market in private television, with its 12,700 salaried employees, profits were seen to increase - with a significant deferral of sources of revenue. While profits from television advertisements, amounting to 3.2 billion Euros, reached the lowest level since 1996, there were profits of 900 million in teleshopping and 1.0 billion from Pay-TV; a further 260 million came from call media, i.e. premium services, such as quiz games. The recent increase in employment rates in private television is almost solely based on teleshopping providers. The cost recovery levels of private television broadcasters in national television amount to an average of 110% and 105% for teleshopping providers. In contrast to that, deficits emerged in Pay-TV (cost recovery 95%) and in regional and local television (87%).

In private radio (3,900 employees) advertising revenues increased for the first time since 2004; national radio reached an average cost recovery level of 117%, local radio 109%.

Public service broadcasters, who are subject to social insurance contributions with 29,400 employees, generate most of the cost recovery themselves by, for example, self-production for television. Aside from fee revenues of 6.7 billion Euros, only 250 million Euros per household came from radio and television broadcasting. Broadcasting corporations have shown a slow but constant staff reduction. Since 1996, the number of employees who are subject to social insurance contributions has decreased by three percent.