Rundfunkstaatsvertrag
Encyclopedia
The Rundfunkstaatsvertrag (Interstate Broadcasting Agreement) is the nationwide law for radio station and television licensing in the Federal Republic of Germany
. Based on the Kulturhoheit der Länder (sovereignty of the German states in terms of cultural aspects) it is not a federal law but instead it is a treaty passed by all Bundesländer
(states of Germany).
The full title of the law is "Staatsvertrag für Rundfunk und Telemedien" (state treaty on broadcasting services and telecommunication media) but in most occasions it is called Rundfunkstaatsvertrag (abbreviated as RStV). The first version was enacted on 1 Dezember 1987 (signed on 3 April 1987) and the fifteenth revision of 30 October 2010 is due to come into effect on 1 January 2013.
The German Interstate Broadcasting Agreement is the basis for a series of other laws, most notably the "Rundfunkgebührenstaatsvertrag" (RGebStV - Interstate Agreement on Broadcasting Licence Fees) and the Rundfunkfinanzierungsstaatsvertrag (RFinStV - Interstate Agreement on the Financing of Broadcasting). Some aspects were refined by the federal "Telemediengesetz" (TMG - telecommunication media act) that is otherwise covering internet services.
The German public broadcasting services were introduced in post-war Germany in a similar fashion to the British Broadcasting Corporation. The Rundfunkstaatsvertrag is similar to the Royal Charter
of the BBC however the licensing and financing model diverged over time. The Rundfunkstaatsvertrag was introduced in 1987 to allow licensing of private broadcast companies beyond the public broadcast services that existed before.
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
. Based on the Kulturhoheit der Länder (sovereignty of the German states in terms of cultural aspects) it is not a federal law but instead it is a treaty passed by all Bundesländer
States of Germany
Germany is made up of sixteen which are partly sovereign constituent states of the Federal Republic of Germany. Land literally translates as "country", and constitutionally speaking, they are constituent countries...
(states of Germany).
The full title of the law is "Staatsvertrag für Rundfunk und Telemedien" (state treaty on broadcasting services and telecommunication media) but in most occasions it is called Rundfunkstaatsvertrag (abbreviated as RStV). The first version was enacted on 1 Dezember 1987 (signed on 3 April 1987) and the fifteenth revision of 30 October 2010 is due to come into effect on 1 January 2013.
The German Interstate Broadcasting Agreement is the basis for a series of other laws, most notably the "Rundfunkgebührenstaatsvertrag" (RGebStV - Interstate Agreement on Broadcasting Licence Fees) and the Rundfunkfinanzierungsstaatsvertrag (RFinStV - Interstate Agreement on the Financing of Broadcasting). Some aspects were refined by the federal "Telemediengesetz" (TMG - telecommunication media act) that is otherwise covering internet services.
The German public broadcasting services were introduced in post-war Germany in a similar fashion to the British Broadcasting Corporation. The Rundfunkstaatsvertrag is similar to the Royal Charter
Royal Charter
A royal charter is a formal document issued by a monarch as letters patent, granting a right or power to an individual or a body corporate. They were, and are still, used to establish significant organizations such as cities or universities. Charters should be distinguished from warrants and...
of the BBC however the licensing and financing model diverged over time. The Rundfunkstaatsvertrag was introduced in 1987 to allow licensing of private broadcast companies beyond the public broadcast services that existed before.