Germany

[DE] SAT.1 Increases Involvement with Film Industry

IRIS 2000-8:1/18

Alexander Scheuer

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

Private TV broadcaster SAT.1 and the Länder (State) of Bremen and Lower Saxony are planning to step up their co-operation in the field of film production.

Under an agreement that was largely negotiated at the beginning of August, three films are to be produced over the next three years at an overall cost of up to DEM 9 million, two-thirds of which will be provided by SAT.1 and one-third by the two Länder. The main aim of the agreement is to boost the number of contracts awarded to production companies based in the Länder concerned.

An investigation into whether and how regional laws on film subsidies may need to be adjusted as a result of this agreement is currently under way in Lower Saxony.