Media Study - Medija centar Beograd

Principles for Collection of License Fees
Germany
In Germany, the invoicing and the collection of the user fees is managed by an association (‘GEZ’) 78 of public
broadcasters (ARD and ZDF) which has been awarded public authority, and which acts on behalf of the public
broadcasters entitled to the fees. Thus, it has the means to enforce payment orders under public law in accordance
with laws on enforcing administrative decisions.
Denmark
In Denmark the Denmark’s Radio’s Office for License (DR being the public service broadcaster financed dominantly
by license fees) collects the fees through half annual or monthly payments. Denmark’s Radio’s Office for License
fees is given authority to check if households possess such equipment through technical and personal control from
outside people’s front door or window. If households do not pay their license fees, the Danish national tax
authorities will claim the money and give it to DR when paid by the household.
Austria
The License Fee is collected as monthly payments. The responsible authority for license fee collection in Austria is
GIS - Gebühren Info Service GmbH 79 , a 100% subsidiary of the Austrian Broadcasting Company (ORF), as well as an
agency of the Ministry of Finance, charged with performing functions concerning national interests. GIS employs
some 200 people and approx. 125 free lancers in field service.
Press agencies
There are no applicable parallels to TANJUG, which is a national press agency managed by the state or private
news agencies in the selected 3 EU Member States. All three have a long tradition with one widely respected
national agency with international reach, fulfilling all related obligations on the domestic territory, fully
independent from the government, all three co-owned by the national media themselves:
DPA in Germany, is a limited company with 190 owners 80
APA in Austria is owned by 15 major dailies and ORF, the national public service broadcaster 81
RITZAU collectively owned by major Danish dailies and DR, the national public service broadcaster. 82
78 http://web.ard.de/abc_relink/relink.php?p_id=817&p_typ=eg
79 http://www.orf-gis.at/index.php?kategorie=ueberuns&thema=aufgaben
80 The German Press Agency dpa is a private limited liability company under German law (GmbH) with around 190 German shareholders
(newspaper and magazine publication houses, publishers, broadcasting corporations and media groups). No shareholder may hold up more than
1.5 per cent of its total capital, with a maximum of 25 % of share capital being held by broadcasters. This ensures that no single shareholder can
exert a dominating influence on the company. In 2007, dpa's core company turnover (i.e. excluding subsidiaries and shares) amounted to 94
million Euros. The operating principles of the company are defined by the shareholders at their general meetings.
81 Refer to http://www.apa.at/cms/site/standard.html?channel=CH0004
73