Germany’s Minister of State, Culture and Media has urged MediaForEurope boss Pier Silvio Berlusconi to keep his “promises” regarding the future of ProSiebenSat.1 Media.
Wolfram Weimer spoke directly to Berlusconi at Munich’s Media Days event yesterday, after MFE replaced ProSieben CEO Bert Habets with MFE CFO Marco Giordani earlier this week. The minister said Bavaria’s Minister President Markus Söder was “paying special attention” to the situation as a strong supporter of media independence.
Weimer and Berlusconi held discussions over the future of German broadcaster ProSieben after MFE gained 75.61% of voting shares last month, with the Italy-based media group forming Europe’s largest broadcasting group with the deal.
ProSieben, which operates in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, is now part of a group also including Italy’s Mediaset and Spain’s Mediaset España, with a stake in Portugal’s Impresa also being sought. The German government, however, has a much more local vision of the situation.
“Dear Mr Berlusconi, we have had intense and ultimately positive discussions both in the Berlin Chancellery and here in Munich with our Minister-President Söder,” Weimer said in a speech. “Perhaps, dear Mr. Berlusconi, you do not yet know our Söder very well, but know that he is a real lion and he pays special attention to strong media because he really fights for it.
“That’s why it’s good that you promised us that you will actually strengthen the ProSieben location in Munich. We will keep an eye on this. We are sure that you will keep your promises and want the Bavarian media authority and our lion to be happy. This is smart and good for ProSieben, but it is also important for Munich as a media location and for Germany as a whole.”
In another speech at Media Days in Munich, Söder welcomed the new bosses of ProSiebenSat.1, but warned of the lack of German investors.
“The truth is that ProSiebenSat.1 has not been as successful in recent years as it could have been,” he said. “In this respect it is like in football: there is a change of coach from time to time, and now we have to ensure that the development is positive, because the site is a strong media site, and the media includes traditional media, but also everything that surrounds them, because today we are not only in the traditional media sector, but also in AI and digitalization.”
Söder demands that ProSieben remain based in Bavaria, in southeastern Germany and around 600 kilometers from the capital Berlin.
German journalists’ unions have expressed concerns about the editorial direction of ProSieben under the MFE, leading Silvio Berlusconi to assure senior government ministers that independence would remain. Silvio Berlusconi’s late father, Mediaset founder Silvio Berlusconi, was known for his strong opinions on the editorial and political lines of his Italian networks.
Highly placed sources at ProSieben told Deadline that there has been no obvious interference in Germany so far, but Habet’s unexpected exit has sparked more questions. The former CEO was scheduled to speak at Media Days in Munich, which takes place this week.
Markus Breitenecker, COO of ProSieben, and Martin Mildner, CFO, were also announced as leaving this week, as Giordani was sworn in as CEO of ProSieben. ProSieben President Maria Kryiacou said the new structure, which includes Bob Rajan as interim CFO, “reflects the ambition to further accelerate strategic transformation with a clear focus on excellence and a leading position in the entertainment market.”
Streamer meetings
Elsewhere in Weimer’s speech, he said several recent meetings with global streamers would result “very soon” in an announcement around a “restructuring of the production landscape.” This would “give a boost to the struggling market,” he added.
No details on the scope of the negotiations were provided, but it is known that the German production sector has long sought an agreement with streamers that would better compensate producers, writers, directors and other creatives in film and television.
Weimer and other members of the German government have been working on plans to introduce investment obligations on streamers, as part of plans to increase the number of films and TV shows made in the country.
Some 250 million euros ($290 million) will be made available next year to encourage more filming, meaning that with regional funds and other prize pools, around 310 million euros will be on offer in total. This does not include federal state production subsidies.
Weimer has previously said government intervention is necessary because of the “imbalance” caused by global streamers.
For streamers, the issue of local investment is becoming increasingly pressing, with most countries now working on some form of levy or quota that corresponds, at least in part, to the content obligations imposed on local broadcasters.
