A few weeks ago, RTL surprised with the news that it was organizing its own program for the upcoming federal election with candidates from the Union, SPD and Greens. A so-called “triell”. For many years, Angela Merkel and her respective opponent were interviewed in a private-public-law special broadcast, sometimes by so many journalists that the questioners were changed at half-time so that the room was not so overcrowded. Now the picture is changing in several ways.
An important impetus comes from the private broadcasters. Pro Sieben recently announced that it would again build its own newsroom, which will supply the group from 2023. The station is already taking on political debates in documentary formats, for example when reporter Thilo Mischke researches right-wing extremists at prime time, nominated for the Grimme Prize. And RTL Zwei, the broadcaster with the Geissens and the Wollnys, founds a “Docu Lab”, which supports the development of film projects so that “important topics find their way to the public”. So there is a lot of commitment in terms of relevance.
Social opinion-forming, not just via jungle camp
Basically it is of course to be welcomed if the private broadcasters participate in the formation of public opinion not only via Jungle camp contribute. Perhaps RTL could develop an ambition that forces changes to the public service, not least because the political professional Nikolaus Blome, formerly vice-chief at image and mirrors, meanwhile is RTL department head for politics and society. It also seems possible that Pro Sieben could once again become a reliable news source with its own profile for younger viewers – around ten years ago the station group said goodbye to the news genre, which is subject to strict advertising restrictions and is therefore not very attractive for investors. The group is currently getting its news externally.
RTl has never been badly newsworthy – could the broadcaster now force changes to public law? RTL anchorman Peter Kloeppel with sports presenter Ulrike von der Groeben.
(Photo: RTL)
Until such scenarios come true, it is worth taking a look at the reasons given by the private broadcasters for the innovations. Pro-seven board spokesman Rainer Beaujean, 52, told the SZ in Decemberthat the competition of streaming services also plays a role. News and football are a “unique selling point”. Of course, the private broadcasters have long been filling their own streaming platforms, but they have to counter the great global power of Netflix, Amazon Prime or Disney. The idea is obvious to do exactly what the others cannot offer – at least it is not yet known that Netflix does news.
The goal: to be easy to find – on the remote control and in digital
The broadcasters may also see other advantages. The State Media Treaty has been in force since November. It now regulates almost everything in the digital world: platforms as well as Youtubers, Internet companies and the news from Alexa. And what has hardly been taken into account so far: It promises broadcasters, video platforms, but also apps and press products that offer public value, i.e. value for society, better findability in the huge world of offerings. Preferred placement should make it easier for the audience to find this content. The crux of the matter: what is public value?
In broadcasting, this is traditionally the terrain of the tax-financed public broadcasters. Commercial broadcasters also offer news and information programs, at least if they want to be so-called “full programs”. However, they are not obliged to provide reports or educationally valuable youth programs. The former Pro-Sieben board member Conrad Albert, for example, even asked for a share of the radio license a few years ago in return for this type of program – and with reference to the fact that the private sector actually reached young people with it – but without success.
Hearings are currently taking place under the leadership of Medienanstalt Berlin-Brandenburg, in which the exact question is: What does a broadcaster have to offer in order to certify Public Value? And how many private offers can consequently make it onto a list of values, in addition to the many public broadcasters that are on it anyway? The media authorities must specify in a statute, “fill with life”, so Anja Zimmer, director of the media authority Berlin-Brandenburg, what in the State Media Treaty is only regulated in note form.
Rough criteria can be found there. Private broadcasters make a valuable contribution with what they offer in terms of content: news about political and contemporary events, regional and local information and offers for young target groups. The assessment also includes how much content is barrier-free, i.e. subtitled for the deaf, how many in-house productions and European works are shown, and to what extent employees are trained in creating the program.
“Filling the State Media Treaty with Life”: Anja Zimmer, Director of the Berlin-Brandenburg Media Authority.
(Photo: Falk Weiß / mabb)
“After the statutes have been issued, the media companies will start an invitation to tender,” says Anja Zimmer, “private radio, television and comparable Internet offers can then apply with their offers.” A status that gives them the advantage of being “easy to find”.
At first glance, this seems like a rather small charm. But in the digital media world, findability is worth a lot. The question of whether a German private broadcaster can be reached with the remote control somewhere between program slot 4 or 300 is one of the battles of yesterday. It is now about the question of whether there is also a tile in the main menu of the new television for a station – in addition to ARD, Arte and Netflix. Whether there could be a public value botton on smartphones and where there are private broadcasters. Or maybe even about what content Alexa selects for a user. These questions, says Wolfgang Schulz, Professor of Media Law and Director of the Hans Bredow Institute for Media Research, arise in many places in a digital world with constantly emerging media platforms and content. “It has become more difficult to decide what media is at all. And what journalism.”
ARD and ZDF are no longer alone
Anja Zimmer says: “The idea behind it is as simple as it is important. Content that is particularly relevant to the diversity of opinion should not be hidden somewhere.” Users should find it, providers should have an incentive to “invest in high-quality journalistic content”.
The public value statutes that are currently being drawn up could also become fundamentally significant because they indirectly introduce a new category for private broadcasters – a kind of social premium seal. In this respect, the catalog of criteria is also a measuring instrument for whether a public task is being fulfilled. You could also put it this way: How much of what the public broadcasters are obliged to do is also in this private broadcaster?
But if a private company fulfills a social program mandate in such a measurable way – could that not also re-emerge the debate about a share in the broadcasting fee? One thing is certain: ARD and ZDF are no longer alone on the field of good because of the appearance of private companies on the public value list. The prospects that this opens up, especially when it comes to the question of how big public broadcasting should or must be, could be exciting. In any case, a first draft of the statutes should be available in Berlin by the end of March.