By Stuart Thomson

German cable operator Tele Columbus has struck an agreement with public broadcaster ARD covering the redistribution of all the pubcaster’s TV and radio channels along with digital services.

It said that the deal regulates the coverage and distribution of services on a “legally secure basis”.

Tele Columbus said that the agreement was the result of a “constructive and intensive negotiation process”.

“We are pleased that the intensive discussions have found a positive conclusion with this agreement and that the conditions for the distribution of programs in our networks are regulated in a legally secure manner. It should be particularly emphasized that, in addition to the diverse and attractive content of ARD, we will also be able to provide our customers with additional multimedia offers for time-critical use in the future,” said chief consumer officer of Tele Columbus, Stefan Riedel.