For a while I’ve thought the dull German media could do with an injection of the Murdoch treatment. And it seems my wish has been granted. It emerged today that the media mogul has bought almost 15% in Premiere, Germany’s biggest Pay TV network. It apparently cost him €287m, and reports say he’s satisfied with the stake at the moment and doesn’t plan to increase it.It’s not much at the moment. Premiere, a bit like Sky, is big on the sport (it broadcasts live Bundesliga games each week), but unlike Sky, it’s no giant and hasn’t conquered the global news, sport and film agenda that Murdoch has already got in the UK and the USA. What’s more, his last foray into the German scene ended with the collapse of Kirch, another Pay TV network, after an ITV Digital-style disaster in 2002. But it’s a start, and one thing may lead to another. Let’s hope it does, and maybe things may get more exciting over here.In other news, check out the latest post on Harry de Quetteville’s Telegraph blog for an entertaining and concise take on 2007 in Germany, what to expect in 2008, why the upcoming regional elections are important and why Prenzlauer Berg is a very strange part of Berlin.
