Germany

[DE] First Teleshopping Channel Licensed

IRIS 1995-9:1/24

Volker Kreutzer

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

In Bavaria, Germany's first teleshopping channel was officially licensed in September 1995. A public law agreement had already been concluded in August between the Bavarian Land Authority for New Media (BLM) and Home Order Television LTD. (HOT) on an interactive shopping service, using broadcasting technology and was approved by the BLM's Media Council. The new channel will be used to present goods and services which HOT sells or provides. It may not carry commercials for other advertisers, nor broadcast programmes or material which are journalistic in character and have no direct connection with presentation and promotion of the goods and services on offer.

To start with, HOT will be accessible only on the Bavarian cable network. Satellite will follow only when the Conference of Directors of the media authorities of the Länder (DLM) gives HOT its approval. The two-thirds majority needed for this could not be obtained at an DLM conference in September. Before deciding whether HOT is acceptable, DLM feels that several points need to be clarified. Specifically, a decision is needed as to whether the project qualifies as broadcasting. ALM will be considering the matter again in November.