Convergence through privatization? Changing media environments and televised politics in Germany

This article discusses the consequences of deregulation of the electronic mass media for political programming. The particular focus of the current debate in Germany is the question of whether the dualization of the broadcasting system, which kick-started intensive competition between the public and commercial stations, will bring about convergent programming. Such a development was thought to undermine the communication of political information and eventually contribute to a weakening of the political functions of television. The article reports findings from a study of television news comparing the presentation of politics in 1985/6 immediately after the deregulation of television and in 1993 when the dual broadcasting system was well established. The evidence suggests that the heavy competition between public and commercial stations does have an impact on the communication of politics to the effect that the marginalization of political information continues, while at the same time political coverage in the news genre format converges. Moreover, the innovation which came about through commercialization is that 'serious' policies on television is reduced to the traditional news format, while new formats have appeared that blur the boundaries between political information and entertainment.