Germany

[DE] Federal Government adopts Television Signal Transmission Bill

IRIS 1996-10:1/27

Wolfgang Closs

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

In mid-October 1996, the Federal Government adopted a Bill on standards for the transmission of television signals (the Fernsehsignalübertragungsgesetz - Television Signal Transmission Act), which is intended to incorporate the EC's Standards Directive (Directive 95/47/EEC of the European Parliament and the Council of 24 October 1995 on the use of standards for the transmission of television signals) into German law.

The purpose and content of the Bill are in line with the Directive. The intention is to promote introduction of the new television technologies and digital television programmes on the internal European market, and to allow free, effective competition to develop by applying uniform regulations to the transmission of digital programmes. In implementation of the EC Directive, the Act contains the following main provisions: 16:9 is to be the regulation format for wide-screen digital television programmes. The HD-MAC transmission system is to be used for high-definition television services which are not completely digital; a transmission system approved by a recognised European standards authority is to be used for fully digital services.

The requisite standards will be laid down by the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) in Nice. To ensure uniform standards throughout Europe, all television receivers and home electronic equipment designed to receive the new services must be compatible. Competition is also part of the Bill, which seeks to guarantee proper, equal and non-discriminatory access to these technologies.

In particular, it embodies standard regulations on the reception of digital services accessed by decoder and on licensing of decoder technology.