Regional TV Break out Programmes: Consequences of § 25 sec. 4 sentence 4 RStV

Commissioned by some of the federal states, this study investigates the consequences of the regulation § 25 sec. 4 sentence 4 RStV for regional TV-Breakout Programmes and is intended to provide a neutral basis for decisions as to whether and, all things being equal, in what form prescriptions ought to be set out for the relationship between providers of main and breakout programmes. According to § 25 sec. 4 sentence 4 RStV, both parties are not supposed to relate to each other as set out in § 28 RStV. There is continuing dispute about this ruling’s meaning.

This study has two modules:

• analysis of the regulations according to legal systems
• a comparative study of communicators

In addition, the study refers to the comparative programme analysis by the Institute for Opinion Research in Göttingen/Cologne, as commissioned by the States Media Authorities.

The investigation should be finished in September 2008.