Europe

Telecommunications providers are demanding that providers of data-intensive services be required to pay for the transport of data. This could also affect media or broadcasting companies. The so-called „sending party network pays“ principle (SPNP) would lead to restrictions of media pluralism and the quality of streaming offerings. VAUNET welcomes the fact that network fees have been rejected by many in business, politics and society. Nevertheless, it is important to ensure that the idea is not revived e. g. in the Digital Networks Act.

The EMFA is meant to reinforce media freedom and pluralism, to strengthen the independence of the media (including its editorial independence), and to create transparent media markets. The majority of this is already sufficiently regulated in Germany. But the Media Freedom Act brings with it unclear effects on the media market. In addition, the relationship with other sector-specific rules like the Audiovisual Media Services Directive will be pivotal.

The Alliance for Broadcasting and Cultural Frequencies campaigns for development prospects and planning security for terrestrial broadcasting. Only the unchanged, exclusive allocation of UHF TV frequencies (470–694 MHz band) primarily to broadcasting and secondarily to wireless equipment will safeguard terrestrial TV broadcasting and wireless media production.

In European legislation governing the transparency of political advertising, maintaining both the subsidiarity principle and the distinction between political advertising, business advertising and editorial contributions is vital. Even so, the regulation of political advertising in traditional broadcasting should continue to be subject to national legislative competence.

The DMA is an adjunct to existing European and national antitrust law. VAUNET is campaigning to ensure that the existing antitrust supervision of digital ecosystems with cross-market significance in Germany isn’t impeded by the DMA. Additional measures are needed in the ad tech sector and for interoperability requirements.

The DSA regulates online platforms regarding transparency, online advertising, recommendation systems and illegal content, among other things. It’s imperative that the DSA is enforced by independent national authorities in order to support the actors contributing to a trustworthy online environment. VAUNET will closely monitor the enforcement of the DSA.

Commercial media companies have shown for many years that they are able to handle personal data ethically and lawfully. Demands for more restrictive data protection – such as excessive information and consent requirements or even advertising and targeting bans – make it hard for media companies to develop innovative digital offerings and keep up with global competition.

The broadcasting industry is based on an extensive multi-platform strategy, and it must be permanently ensured that audiences are able to freely receive broadcasting programs on all the methods of reception they use. Biased political technology regulation that ignores actual usage patterns would mean reduced coverage and deprive many commercial broadcasters of their economic basis, not to mention jeopardize media diversity.