German Court Rules Broadcasters Can Group Small Parties' Results Under 'Other'

The Federal Administrative Court upheld RBB's editorial autonomy, allowing election results for parties with less than 4% of votes to be aggregated.

The Federal Administrative Court ruled that broadcasters are not required to display separate results for small parties with less than 4% of votes in election coverage.
The case stemmed from the Tierschutzpartei's challenge against RBB's grouping of their 2019 Brandenburg election results under 'Other'.
The Tierschutzpartei argued that the practice violated the principle of equal opportunity for political parties in media representation.
RBB defended its approach, citing editorial freedom and the need to prioritize parties closer to the 5% threshold for parliamentary entry.
The court found RBB's method consistent with fairness and audience expectations, emphasizing that visibility adjustments based on party relevance are permissible.