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The 14 state media authorities in Germany are the central supervisory authorities for the regulation of private broadcasting and telemedia in Germany. The core mission of the media authorities is to ensure the plurality of media offerings and opinions, and to protect media freedom.
14 state media authorities, one joint management office: how the cooperation works
Media regulation in Germany is organised on a federal basis. That is why there are 14 independent state media authorities. Digitalisation, rapid technological change and the increasing importance of mostly globally active platforms for opinion-forming pose new, cross-border challenges for today's media regulation. Ensuring media diversity is a task that does not stop at national borders.
Ensuring media diversity is a task that does not stop at national borders.
In cases of cross-state significance and for central tasks and projects, the state media authorities therefore work together under the umbrella brand "die medienanstalten" in nationwide committees, review and working groups.
The Joint Management Office of the Media Authorities (GGS) in Berlin organises this nationwide cooperation. It is the knowledge pool and central point of contact for the state media authorities and coordinates joint projects.
Media regulation in Germany: What are the tasks of the media authorities?
Ensuring media and provider diversity, protecting freedom of opinion and media freedom – these are the legally defined key tasks of the media authorities.
What is the legal basis for the media authorities‘ work?
The media authorities always work with a legal mandate. This mandate is primarily derived from the Interstate Media Treaty (MStV), the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Media (JMStV) and the 14 state media laws. In addition, statutes are issued that concretise these legal bases where necessary, for example in the regulation of media platforms or intermediaries.
The internal cooperation of the individual state media authorities in committees and commissions is regulated in the ALM statute