After ARD and ZDF canceled their cable contracts with the three major cable providers in Germany, the cable association FRK has emphasised once more that the small network operators are not affected.
The FRK, the cable association of small independent operators, said that no shutdown of the ARD and ZDF channels is planned and that distribution of all public channels will continue without interruption
Heinz-Peter Labonte, chairman of the FRK, issued a statement, “there are no problems with the supply or threats to shut down the currently distributed public service broadcasting”. All small to medium-sized operators will continue to carry all these channels.
In addition, Labonte referred to a procedure started by the FRK before the Federal Cartel Office (Bundeskartellamt), in which the association complains about the fact that ARD and ZDF pay the large operators, Kabel BW, Kabel Deutschland and Unitymedia a carriage fee, whilst the smaller operators do not receive such a remuneration.
