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Television

Conventional television is still considered to be the leading medium and is particularly important in shaping public opinion. It is therefore subject to supervision by the state media authorities as is the medium of radio. But just like with radio, the state media authorities are only responsible for private broadcasting organisations.

Supervision of private television channels

The media authorities are responsible for matters concerning private television. This applies to content as well as structural matters. If a concrete complaint about a certain programme’s content arises, the responsible state media authority will examine the matter and present the result to the respective committee to reach a decision, depending on whether the case is related to youth media protection or programme oversight.

As part of advertising supervision, violations in separating advertising from the programme can also be determined. Furthermore, die Medienanstalten also advocate better accessibility for programmes to enable people with hearing or visual impairments to take part in the world of television. 

Regulation also applies to areas which are not visible to television viewers at first glance. In general, every broadcaster requires a licence. Additionally, they must settle the distribution of their programmes with the respective network operators and also keep an eye on the sorting order of the programme lists. These are matters of platform regulation.

If the ownership structure of a network changes, the state media authorities observe the effects on the market’s media concentration. Additionally, European regulations also influence the national legislation.

Means of distribution for television

The state media authorities’ supervision of private broadcasting offers comprises all means of distribution for television – cable, satellite, antenna, and the internet.

Broadcasting transmission technology is steadily developing, and the media authorities have accompanied and moderated the technological transition to various means of distribution in the past.

Compared to analogue transmission, users of digital television signals benefit from sharper images, higher resolution, and better sound. In order a receive DVB programmes, a DVB receiver which decodes the digital signals is required. In new television sets, this receiver is often already integrated in the device. Depending on the network development and connection, multimedia applications can also be used via the respective means of distribution in addition to television programmes.

Means of distribution for television

The state media authorities’ supervision of private broadcasting offers comprises all means of distribution for television – cable, satellite, antenna, and the internet.

Broadcasting transmission technology is steadily developing, and the media authorities have accompanied and moderated the technological transition to various means of distribution in the past. Compared to analogue transmission, users of digital television signals benefit from sharper images, higher resolution, and better sound. In order a receive DVB programmes, a DVB receiver which decodes the digital signals is required. In new television sets, this receiver is often already integrated in the device. Depending on the network development and connection, multimedia applications can also be used via the respective means of distribution in addition to television programmes.

DVB-C: Cable television

Together with satellite transmission, cable is the most important means of distribution for broadcasting. The cable network structure differs regionally. Larger companies such as Vodafone Kabel Deutschland, Unitymedia, and Tele Columbus have a dominant status, while small and medium-sized cable companies also exist.

Cable is the last means of distribution in the area of television which is still available analogue in addition to the use of digital signals. However, the analogue cable distribution ist going to be terminated in 2019; the distribution will have been completely digitised by then.

DVB-S: Satellite television

In Germany, more than 2,000 television channels and more than 200 radio stations can be received with a satellite system, for example those from the major European satellite companies SES und M7. Together with digital cable, satellite represents the most important means of transmission for broadcasting in Germany.

In April 2012, analogue satellite distribution was terminated; ever since, this means of distribution has been completely digitised. The public service broadcasting stations – ARD and ZDF – transmit their SDTV and HDTV signals at no charge and without encryption. Since November 2009, the major private broadcasters – Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland and ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE – have offered their HD programmes via the satellite operator SES Astra on the platform HD+ with encryption and therefore at a cost.

DVB-T2 HD: Terrestrial transmission – antenna television

At the end of March 2017, DVB-T2 HD replaced its predecessor DVB-T (Digital Video Broadcasting – Terrestrial) and now supplies television viewers with HD programmes via antennas. In individual regions, the switch to the new antenna television will take more time and be complete by 2019.

Die Medienanstalten have moderated this transition process within the framework of a round table together with the broadcasters. In this context, die Medienanstalten also undertook the tender and allocation of the necessary frequency capacities for the nationwide platform operation. In March 2015, the ZAK assigned the company Media Broadcast the function of platform operator for the digital terrestrial distribution of private broadcasting offerings via DVB-T2 HD.

The transmission of digital broadcasting signals via DVB-T began in the autumn of 2002 in Berlin/Brandenburg. Since 2008, the public service programmes from ARD and ZDF have been extensively distributed across all of Germany via DVB-T. The analogue distribution of antenna television programmes was gradually discontinued in the regions during this time and completely terminated in 2008.

IPTV: Internet television

Since about 2006, broadband telephone network providers have also offered television. IPTV programmes are digitally transmitted via the internet. This requires a special set-top box which is connected to the television and the internet. The provider offers these for purchase or rental. Since such DSL networks have professional providers, consistent quality can be ensured with IPTV.

IPTV differs from media libraries offered by public service broadcasters and private broadcasters which can be used with apps or on other receivers via the open internet. A TV broadcaster’s stream which can be called up via a website on a smartphone, tablet, or laptop is also not IPTV.

HBB TV: The red button

In the last years, device manufacturers, who now want to offer access to media internet services with their own, individual solution, have forced the internet and television to merge.

However, broadcasting companies are worried that this could cause indirect interference with their programme. If a viewer watches a programme and activates the internet function, then the current programme can be cross-faded or reduced in size. Advertising pop-ups are also imaginable.

Furthermore, content providers also face the problem that they have to enter a separate contract with every manufacturer in order to appear on the respective device. The common standard HbbTV (Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV) was developed to enable a uniform solution and take the interests of programme broadcasters into account. With HbbTV, when the user activates the “red button”, they are taken from a running TV programme to a related page of the programme broadcaster – similar to teletext. After this, the offer branches out to other internet services by the broadcaster, e.g. the media library.