Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 4 days ago

---

Yes, it's true: every household in Germany must pay a contribution to finance public broadcasters, even if they never watch it. So how did things get to this point, and why are public broadcasters even a thing?

Chapters:
00:00 Intro
01:44 The beginnings
03:10 Radio comes to Germany
05:17 Striving for independance
08:05 The internet changes everything
10:07 Who needs public broadcasters?


Music:

"This is a Jazz Space"
by Midnight North
YouTube Audio Library

"Hot Swing"
by Kevin MacLeod incompetech.com
Creative Commons Attribution licence

---------

Become a channel member for bonus content:
youtube.com/@rewboss/join

Send letters and postcards to:

Rewboss
Postfach 10 06 29
63704 Aschaffenburg
Germany

Please don't send parcels or packages, or anything that has to be signed for.