A report published on 30 September 2026 said that Germany’s far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which could take power in Saxony-Anhalt, planned to abolish public-service broadcasting in the state and end the compulsory contribution used to fund it. The party has described public broadcasting as “propaganda”, according to the report.
The report said critics viewed the proposal as an attack on independent media and as a potential precedent for changing the media landscape across Germany, drawing comparisons with Hungary under Viktor Orban.
Funding and broadcasting operations
According to the supplied account, the AfD’s proposed funding model would increase public broadcasting’s dependence on local authorities. It could later lead to the complete closure of public broadcasting in Saxony-Anhalt, as well as reductions in local editorial offices and jobs.
Germany’s public-service broadcasting system has said that, if the AfD’s current plans were implemented, its programmes in Saxony-Anhalt could disappear entirely in the foreseeable future.
The proposed abolition of the compulsory contribution would remove one of the main safeguards cited for the system’s independence and impartiality, according to the account. Under the current model, ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio are funded by contributions from individuals, households, companies and institutions. The money is transferred directly to public broadcasters, a structure intended to protect editorial work from government control and support objective and balanced coverage.
