It took billions of charging cables, but the unified USB-C charging socket is expected to arrive in autumn 2024. The producers of smartphones are not necessarily happy, because the “cable salad” is a lucrative business. However, what the EU has decided will be a blessing for users.
Crowded apps
And isn’t there also a role model for the German television providers? Most smartphones and laptops are stuffed with apps from ARD to RTL to ZDF. And in the end, isn’t most of them looking for that crime thriller or special content on YouTube? The brave new digital platform world has so far worked according to traditional rules. Everyone for themselves and if possible against everyone.
As with the charging cable, there was no shortage of initiatives to bring together the wide variety of offerings on a common content platform. Do you remember “Germany’s Gold”? An online video library, projected by ARD and ZDF and buried in 2013 after objections from the Cartel Office because the authorities saw competition as being hindered. Nothing else happened when the private broadcasting groups of RTL and ProSiebenSat1 wanted to combine their media libraries.
It doesn’t have to stay that way, the CEO of ProSiebenSat1, Bert Habets, has proposed a joint streaming network for content from public and private broadcasters in Germany. ARD chairman Kai Gniffke picked up the ball. He is concerned about the stability of the dual system in the face of “gigantic multinationals” on the German market.
So a platform “Made in Germany”? Diversity, quality, fact-based content instead of disinformation, who would say no to that? It may sound strange, but perhaps the broadcasters themselves have the biggest concerns. Such a common platform would have to eliminate the daily competition, so to speak, the principle would have to apply: all content is visible, all content is offered without discrimination. The problems are already beginning: If someone enters “crime” in the search function, for example, what is offered first? “Tatort”, “Soko” or “Miss Merkel”?
Joachim Huber no longer wants to search for TV content, just find it easily.
The mindset has to change. Don’t find reasons for rejection, but arguments for success. The international corporations from Netflix to Metaversum to Youtube are also so successful in Germany because they don’t think small, but big. And from the user.
I have been working in the news industry for over 10 years now and I have worked for some of the biggest news websites in the world. My focus has always been on entertainment news, but I also cover a range of other topics. I am currently an author at Global happenings and I love writing about all things pop-culture related.
