The FSF within the German media system
Given the constitutional protection of freedom of speech and the ban on censorship, a governmental authority cannot exercise control over content before its publication (Article 5 German Constitution).
The FSF is an independent association which was set up by the private TV channels in 1993 (see history of FSF). The German system for the protection of minors in the media is based on the principle of co-regulation/self-regulation being supervised by another authority.
The supervisory authority is the Commission for the Protection of Minors in the Media (Kommission für Jugendmedienschutz: KJM). This commission is primarily responsible for the protection of minors in the media in commercial radio and television channels as well as telemedia like the Internet. It acts on behalf of the regulatory authorities as a non-state body. The KJM supervises the norms according to the Interstate Treaty on the Protection of Minors in the Media (Jugendmedienschutz-Staatsvertrag: JMStV).
