ARD and ZDF have filed a constitutional complaint as the planned increase in the broadcast fee, recommended to rise by 58 cents to 18.94 euros starting January 1, 2025, was postponed by the federal states until December. The public broadcasters argue that the failure to implement this fee adjustment jeopardizes their funding and operational independence, which is essential for their journalistic mission. The decision on the fee remains unresolved, as no financing agreement was reached during the recent conference among state officials.