German households pay 220 annually to fund settlements with defamed politicians and other services of public broadcasters. (Photo by Getty)
7 July 2025
Berlin’s state TV station Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg has agreed to pay an undisclosed amount to a former Greens politician whom it had falsely accused of sexual harassment.
Ex-Greens MP Stefan Gelbhaar had sued RBB for 1.7 million over the allegations. He had also lost his lucrative seat in the German parliament as a result of the campaign against him.
According to local newspaper Berliner Zeitung, RBB and Gelbhaar reached an out-of-court settlement in which the TV station would pay about half of the amount originally demanded, a sum “in the high six digits”.
RBB also promised to never again report on the own false allegations and to formally beg for Gelbhaar’s pardon.
In a joint press statement, both described their negotiations as “respectful” and “successful for both parties”.
Gelbhaar said: “RBB showed understanding and then dealt with the conflict in a very reasonable and structured way during our negotiations.”
The settlement and the considerable legal fees would be ultimately paid for by German citizens.
That was because RBB would use its income from the country’s mandatory household TV tax to pay for the costs, as reported by Berliner Zeitung.
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