ARD Top Salaries Rank in the Upper Midfield

A recent study conducted by the Zeppelin University of Friedrichshafen has shed light on the salaries of artistic directors and directors in public broadcasting. The study, which was published on Tuesday, reveals that these individuals occupy the upper midfield in terms of their compensation compared to other high-ranking roles within the public sector.

Carried out on behalf of ARD, the study compared the salaries, additional remuneration packages, and pension provisions of the management levels within ARD and other public institutions. These institutions spanned a wide range of sectors including savings banks, local public transport, waste disposal, housing, cultural promotion, and city marketing.

The study highlighted significant differences in the annual earnings of management levels across various sectors. For instance, those working in banking/finance, public transport/transport, and housing earned significantly more, with annual salaries ranging from 302,000 euros (housing) to 469,000 euros (banking). Meanwhile, top public broadcasters had an average annual income of 250,000 euros.

Eight other sectors included in the comparison had lower earnings. These included airports and seaports (203,000 euros), waste disposal (181,000 euros), economic development and city marketing (171,000 euros), education and science (147,000 euros), and the sector of culture, art, and recreation (138,000 euros). The healthcare sector had the lowest average annual salary, at just 123,000 euros.

The study also pointed out that with the exception of public broadcasting, all sectors commonly offered variable compensation elements. These additional income sources could potentially boost individual earnings by up to a third.

In the past, this form of compensation was only available on ARD at Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB). However, this model was discontinued in the wake of the RBB scandal in 2022. It should be noted that the study did not investigate salary and remuneration structures in private broadcasting, which are typically even higher.

Leading the way in transparency

Study author Ulf Papenfuß emphasised the importance of a fair discussion on the topic of remuneration. “We want a fair discussion and not a jealous debate,” he said. “Good people should earn decent money. We would like to use the study to help objectify and objectify the discussion.”

Papenfuß stressed the need for transparency in remuneration levels and methodology. He commended public institutions for their transparency, stating that 75 out of the 79 management positions examined openly disclosed their salaries – a transparency rate of approximately 95 percent.

Following closely behind in terms of transparency was the IT sector, with a rate of 43 percent. The waste and wastewater disposal sector had the lowest transparency rate, at just 15 percent. The study concludes by stating, “This means that broadcasting companies have the highest level of transparency compared to public companies in Germany, especially when it comes to pension provision.” (KNA)