Cut the volume

ONLY a year ago it was the trendiest topic in European media. Now Germany's digital-television market is more tired than wired. Several participants, including Rupert Murdoch's BSkyB, have withdrawn. And rumours are flying that the two strongest remaining players--DF1, which is owned by the Kirch group, and Premiere, whose owners include both Kirch and its old enemy, Bertelsmann--may pool their resources.