Bundesnetzagentur release confirms media carve-out for state authorities

A Bundesnetzagentur press release of 29 July 2026 states that in fully harmonised product areas the established market surveillance and sector supervisory authorities remain competent, "for example the Federal Financial Supervisory Authority in the financial sector or the state media authorities in the media sector" (In vollharmonisierten Produktbereichen bleiben die etablierten Marktüberwachungs- und Fachaufsichtsbehörden zuständig … etwa die Bundesanstalt für Finanzdienstleistungsaufsicht im Finanzsektor oder die Landesmedienanstalten im Medienbereich).

The release also bounds the agency's own Article 50 role. It polices transparency obligations only within its areas of competence (in ihren Zuständigkeitsbereichen), listed as radio equipment, personnel management, critical infrastructure and education.

The release confirms the carve-out but does not name a particular state media authority (Landesmedienanstalt) as the addressee for any given service. A separate mechanism, the Organleihe, allows a Land to borrow the Bundesnetzagentur as its acting organ, so the competent authority and the acting authority can differ.

On 30 July, Medien.Bayern, a BLM subsidiary, published an Article 50 explainer and FAQ. It is the first Article 50 guidance from the German media-authority family, though issued by a subsidiary rather than as a claim of competence.