The media authorities have submitted a list of programs that make a particular contribution to the diversity of opinion among private broadcasters and must therefore be easy to find on the user interfaces of digital offers.
The media authorities published these so-called public value offers in a legally binding list on their website.
In a separate recommendation for the providers of user interfaces, for example for Smart TV, the state media authorities propose the order of the channels.
Priority for the public broadcasters
As a result, ARD and ZDF, which are considered "public value" by virtue of the Interstate Media Treaty, should be in first and second place, followed by RTL, Sat.1, Pro Sieben and Vox.
The ranking was carried out in coordination with the public service broadcaster "in trusting and constructive discussions", the result reflects the strengths of both parts of the dual broadcasting system, said the director of the leading state authority for media in North Rhine-Westphalia, Tobias Schmid.
With the publication, the determination process is completed.
In the State Media Treaty, the federal states had given the media authorities the task of determining public value offers relevant to the diversity of opinion.
Private providers should be offered an incentive to provide socially relevant content with more attention.
With this provision, the media authorities support media that promote diversity in their work.
"Together we are making an important contribution to journalistic quality and against disinformation," said the chairman of the committee chairmen's conference of the state media authorities, Albrecht Bähr.
A total of 325 applications were received by the North Rhine-Westphalia Media Authority.
A test group of the Commission for Approval and Supervision (ZAK) decided on this.
The determination is valid for three years.
The Association of Private Media Vaunet welcomed the decision.
With the concept of making certain offers easy to find, the legislature, after a discussion process lasting more than ten years, has chosen the approach of not imposing certain socially desired content through conditions or restrictions, but promoting it through better visibility on platforms and end devices, the association explained.