According to this Reuters story, German public broadcaster ZDF will “drastically reduce” online programming because commercial television channels and newspapers are accusing them of “unfair competition.” The twisted logic being that, since public broadcasters don’t have to worry about cannibalizing profits by putting television content online, they can, um, put more television content online.

ZDF director Markus Schachter told Reuters that the broadcaster will cut back its online programming by a whopping 70%, and reduce the time that catch-up programming is streamed  on both the ZDF site and sister channel ARD site. Video reports on Bundesliga games, for instance, will only be available for one day. The sites also plan to cut back on their text offerings.

In the same story, though, Schachter says the sites will increase their video offerings, but didn’t say how they’d do that while at the same time reducing catch-up programming. Should be interesting to watch; what’s going to be even more interesting will be whether or not ZDF/ARD’s moves make any difference in Germany’s dwindling newspaper revenues.