Speech: “Der virtuelle Rundfunk”
For media as public there are minimum requirements>
Non-discriminatory access (all information is equally available for all users)
Net neutrality (every publisher has the same right of distribution of his content)
Plurality (of choice)
Societal influence (transparent representation of ethic and cultural values)
In Europe’s and especially federal German media tradition since WWII this becomes particularly visible with broadcasting law. Out of these rules of democratic-political media culture the large public service broadcasting institutions were shaped, that took an important position in the public life of the European Societies.
As the Internet does not just substitute broadcasting (to adopted the regulations more or less unchanged would then be an easy task), but lead far above this classic media concept by displacing classic media in their relevance, the influence of these media on our society fades away.
Therefore we need a discussion on ‘Virtual Broadcasting’, on public or public-law Internet.