ARD soccer bid sparks new row

net1

The VPRT, the association for German commercial broadcasters, are to take their case against public broadcasters bidding for German soccer rights to Brussels.

The VPRT believes ARD - Germany's biggest pubcaster - should have its E55 million bid for top level football outlawed. The bid, to be finalised this week, would see football back on a public channel for the first time in 14 years but the commercial channels say ARD should not be allowed to use license money to outbid commercial rivals. Sat 1 paid E80 million for a similar package last year.

It is the latest battle in the war between public and private broadcasting sectors. Earlier this year the VPRT complained to Brussels that the pubcasters - ARD and ZDF - should not be allowed to subsidize online ventures through the license fee. The two public groups receive over E6 billion a year in license fees and the row has been inflamed by their demand for an 8-12 per cent increase in the license fee. The demand led to several regional politicians promising to veto the rise, an unprecedented step as all previous rises have been uncontested for fear of drawing fire for political interference.