Overview

• ZDF recorded 17,000 program complaints in just a few months of 2024, exceeding ten times its 2023 total.
• ARD’s Munich program direction unit received 31,000 submissions and acknowledges even higher overall numbers across other regional stations.
• rundfunkalarm.de supplies themed templates and pre-formulated letters prompting users to accuse broadcasts of “propaganda” and imbalance.
• Broadcasters stipulate that valid complaints must concern already aired programs and be sent to the responsible Landesrundfunkanstalt’s Rundfunkrat.
• ZDF notes that some viewers continue to submit detailed, constructive feedback aimed at preserving or improving program quality.