ABSTRACT
There are approximately 82 million inhabitants of Germany. The German media system is based upon the Basic Law (the German constitution) that guarantees freedom of expression and the press. The regulation of the media falls within the jurisdiction of the sixteen German states, all of which have passed additional laws that ensure the existence of a free and democratic media system. Since the deregulation of broadcasting in the mid-1980s, the German media system has seen immense expansion and differentiation, leading to vastly increased competition (Hans-Bredow-Institut 2000; Kleinsteuber 1997).
