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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...

On 13 February 2002, TV broadcasters ARD, ORB, SFB, ZDF, ProSiebenSat.1 and RTL and the broadcasting regulator in Berlin, Medienanstalt Berlin-Brandenburg (MABB), agreed that all terrestrial television channels received by means of standard aerials should use the digital DVB-T (Digital Video Broadcasting - Terrestrial) format by mid-2003. DVB-T programmes can be received by means of conventional aerials as long as a decoder (set-top box) is fitted. DVB technology enables viewers to receive a much larger number of channels. Another advantage is the possibility of mobile reception. Apart from the...

On 14 March 2002 the new Saarländische Mediengesetz (Saarland Media Act) entered into force. This Act contains regulations on the press, the organisation and distribution of broadcasting and media services, the allocation of transmission frequencies and the implementation of trials with new broadcasting techniques and media services (for details on the regulations, see IRIS 2001-6: 4). This Act replaces the Landesrundfunkgesetz (Saarland Broadcasting Act - LRG) and the Saarländische Pressegesetz (Saarland Press Act - SPresseG). The new Act does not affect the Staatsvertrag über den Rundfunk im...

On 25 January 2002, the German Bundestag (lower house of parliament) adopted a Government Bill aimed at strengthening the contractual position of authors and performing artists. The Government's objective in tabling the Bill was to ensure that authors and performing artists receive reasonable remuneration and, for the sake of legal certainty, to provide guidelines on what constitutes reasonable remuneration. The idea was that legal disputes between authors and users should, as far as possible, be avoided. Since the legislative process began in May last year (see IRIS 2001-7: 14), the Bill has...

In a decision of 25 February 2002, the Bundeskartellamt (Federal Cartels Office - BKartA) prohibited Liberty Media's planned acquisition of six regional cable networks owned by Deutsche Telekom AG (DT). The authority had already expressed reservations about the American media company's proposal in a warning issued at the end of January; following subsequent negotiations with the company, which were apparently unsuccessful, the Cartels Office's misgivings concerning the restriction of competition in the cable TV market have prevailed. The Cartels Office ruled that the merger, investigated in accordance...