Germany

[DE] ARD Digital Broadcasting Strategy

IRIS 2002-4:1/11

Alexander Scheuer

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

At their meeting in mid-March 2002, the Directors of the Arbeitsgemeinschaft der öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (union of German public service broadcasters - ARD) decided on their strategy for digital broadcasting. Of particular significance is their intention to use all the different transmission methods in such a way as to ensure that all viewers and listeners can be reached in an appropriate way.

The ARD's broadcasting and telecommunications board (RUTE), chaired by the Director of Saarländischer Rundfunk (Saarland broadcasting corporation - SR), had drawn up a corresponding plan. Even after the full switch-over to digital technology, which is due to take place in the short to medium term, depending on the type of transmission, all users within a certain broadcasting area would have to be reached. Digital terrestrial television (DVB-T) would be particularly important as it would be the only totally independent means of transmission. This transition would require both private and public broadcasters to make high-performance frequencies previously used for analogue broadcasting available for the new system.

The Directors stressed that, as technology, media policy and media law developed, public broadcasters would be given fair and free access to digital platforms. In this connection, they urged the cable network regulators, under the principle of the freedom to broadcast, to ensure that broadcasting services were included. Public service channels could only be marketed by network operators with the broadcasters' consent. Network operators would not be permitted to unbundle or re-package public service channels. The strategy document assumes that the Multimedia Home Platform (MHP) DVB standard will be used as the basis for programme feeding.