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The share-based approach to controlling the power of private broadcasters to shape opinion, which has so far applied in Germany, is to be replaced by a new approach, based on their percentage share of the audience. At their meeting in mid-October, the heads of government of the 16 Länder agreed on the main points of the new system. So far, programme providers in Germany have had to work through consortiums. Broadcasting bodies are licensed only when none of the partners holds 50% or more of the capital or voting rights. In future, even 100% holdings will be permitted. To keep power to shape opinion...

At a recent meeting, on 11 July 1995, the Conference of Directors of Land Media Authorities (DLM) presented a joint position paper on the introduction of Digital Video Broadcasting (DVB) throughout the Federal Republic. Having briefly discussed the technical possibilities of DVB, the wide-ranging paper concentrates on the question of what needs to be done in legal terms. Two sections contain separate recommendations on legal regulations and on action during the start-up phase of DVB. Nothing is said about Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB), since the Land media authorities expect it to have marginal...

On 17 May 1995, the Cartel Chamber of the Berlin Court of Appeal upheld the Federal Cartel Office's decision of 25 May 1994, prohibiting a legal bookshop from concluding price-fixing contracts for CD-ROM products. The proceedings came about when a specialised legal bookshop, while continuing to publish its specialised journals in their normal printed form, began to issue the full texts on CD-ROM as well, and tried to fix the price of the CD-ROM edition in the same way as that of the printed version. The CD-ROM edition makes it possible, by following certain search procedures, to locate specific...

The Administrative Court in Berlin has ruled that a public authority which funds travel for journalists directly or indirectly is subsidising the press in an unlawful manner. The decision concerned a visit to Beijing by the Mayor of Berlin. On this occasion, a limited number of airline tickets were made available to journalists from various daily newspapers. Since there were more applicants than tickets, a selection was made, and some, at least, of the journalists had their travel and accommodation paid for. The case was brought by a daily paper whose journalists were not included and which objected...

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...