Germany

[DE] Final Replacement of Analogue Broadcasting by Digital Technology Transmissions in 2010

IRIS 1998-8:1/30

Johannes Martin

Institute of European Media Law (EMR), Saarbrücken/Brussels

Following working group discussions lasting several months, the Federal cabinet adopted, on 24 August, a plan for the introduction of digital radio in Germany. A complete switch of all television transmissions to the new technology is accordingly planned for the year 2010 at the latest ; for radio, digital reception is to be available alongside analogue no later than early 1999.

All interested parties - programme and service providers, network operators, the regional authorities, television and radio set manufacturers, consumers, representatives of trade and commerce - took part in the preparations for the plan. All interested participants are required to develop models for the transition phase, enabling suppliers and consumers to use both technologies. The working group will, for this reason, continue meeting with the task of continuously updating the plan.