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On 9 July the "Association for Voluntary Self-Regulation of Multimedia service providers" (Freiwillige Selbstkontrolle Multimedia-Diensteanbieter e.V. - FSM) was set up in Bonn. The FSM is to represent organisations and companies in the multimedia sector in their purpose to protect the valid interests of users and the public, particularly as regards racial discrimination and oppression, and to reinforce the protection of young people on a self-responsible basis. Both the new federal "Multimedia Act" and the "Multimedia Agreement" between the Länder (Information and Communications Services Act...

On 14 July 1997, the Federal Republic of Germany and the Republic of Poland concluded an agreement on cultural co-operation with the aim of developing their relations in all cultural areas, including science and education. It entered into force on 4 January 1999. The agreement is guided by the provisions of the German-Polish Treaty of 17 June 1991 on good neighbourly relations and friendly co-operation. For the purpose of exchanging views and experience and in order to develop co-operation, the contracting parties undertake to provide assistance on organising visits by representatives of the...

Following the acceptance by the European Parliament in plenary of the outcome of negotiations between the Parliament and the Council of Minsters on the new EC Directive on `Television without Frontiers', the Upper House of the German Parliament (Bundesrat) has decided that Germany will abstain from voting on its final adoption by the Council of Ministers. In this way the Länder (the federal states) are demonstrating their constitutional authority over the media to both the Council and the Federal Government. Indeed they are of the opinion that the EC, at the very least as regards specific regulations...

Questions involving the financing of the public-sector channels ARD and ZDF are once again the centre of media law debate. In order to ensure equality of competition between public-sector channels and private television broadcasters, the Federal Audit Office (Bundesrechnungshof) is encouraging the Federal Ministry of Finance to make the ARD and ZDF television channels fully liable to tax. Up till now the liability has to a large extent been waived for the two channels. If a new regulation were introduced, the public-sector channels would, in particular, be liable for turnover tax on licence fees....

In the appeal proceedings brought by the television channel RTL against the judgment given by the Hannover District Court (Amtsgericht Hannover) on 22 August 1996 (see IRIS 1996-10: 11), the Court of Appeal in Celle upheld the lower court's judgment on 16 June. This judgment is now final, which means that RTL will be ordered to pay a fine of close on 20 million DM, representing its earnings from the - in the court's view - unlawful broadcasting of advertising. In the dispute as to whether the programmes broadcast by RTL constituted a "series" within the meaning of the relevant broadcasting laws,...