Das Erste
Encyclopedia
Erstes Deutsches Fernsehen ("First German Television"), marketed as Das Erste ("The First"), is the principal publicly owned
television channel
in Germany
. It is a joint production of Germany's regional public broadcasters acting through, and coordinated by the ARD
consortium.
, which later split to become NDR
and WDR
in 1956. The regular NWDR television service started on 25 December 1952. Nationwide transmission began on 1 November 1954 within the ARD framework. It was West Germany's only television channel prior to the establishment of ZDF
in 1963. ARD
nevertheless produced a provisonary second TV channel from 1 June 1961 until ZDF started its transmissions on 1 April 1963. Colour television was introduced on 25 August 1967.
The channel's original name of Deutsches Fernsehen was changed to ARD Deutsches Fernsehen in 1964, and to Erstes Deutsches Fernsehen ("First German Television") on 30 September 1984, before becoming simply Das Erste in 1997. Also around 1984, a new corporate design was introduced. The previous logo, a stylized eye, was replaced by a new logo showing a stylized number "1" which is still in use today. Since 1997, the channel is usually marketed as Das Erste, but the long name Erstes Deutsches Fernsehen is still used for rather official purposes (like the introduction of the main editions of its news programme Tagesschau that has been on air since 26 December 1952). Informally, it is still also known as ARD among viewers beside its official name of Das Erste.
Starting in February 2010 with the coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics
, Das Erste is being broadcast in high definition
.
Public broadcasting
Public broadcasting includes radio, television and other electronic media outlets whose primary mission is public service. Public broadcasters receive funding from diverse sources including license fees, individual contributions, public financing and commercial financing.Public broadcasting may be...
television channel
Television channel
A television channel is a physical or virtual channel over which a television station or television network is distributed. For example, in North America, "channel 2" refers to the broadcast or cable band of 54 to 60 MHz, with carrier frequencies of 55.25 MHz for NTSC analog video and...
in Germany
German television
Television in Germany began in Berlin on March 22, 1935, broadcasting for 90 minutes three times a week. The German television market had approximately 36.5 million television households in 2000, making it the largest television market in Europe...
. It is a joint production of Germany's regional public broadcasters acting through, and coordinated by the ARD
ARD (broadcaster)
ARD is a joint organization of Germany's regional public-service broadcasters...
consortium.
History
The channel's first, experimental broadcasts started on 27 November 1950 as TV channel of the then NWDRNordwestdeutscher Rundfunk
Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk was the organization responsible for public broadcasting in the German Länder of Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia from 22 September 1945 until 31 December 1955. Until 1954, it was also responsible for broadcasting in West Berlin...
, which later split to become NDR
Norddeutscher Rundfunk
Norddeutscher Rundfunk is a public radio and television broadcaster, based in Hamburg. In addition to the city-state of Hamburg, NDR transmits for the German states of Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein...
and WDR
Westdeutscher Rundfunk
Westdeutscher Rundfunk is a German public-broadcasting institution based in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia with its main office in Cologne. WDR is a constituent member of the consortium of German public-broadcasting institutions, ARD...
in 1956. The regular NWDR television service started on 25 December 1952. Nationwide transmission began on 1 November 1954 within the ARD framework. It was West Germany's only television channel prior to the establishment of ZDF
ZDF
Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen , ZDF, is a public-service German television broadcaster based in Mainz . It is run as an independent non-profit institution, which was founded by the German federal states . The ZDF is financed by television licence fees called GEZ and advertising revenues...
in 1963. ARD
ARD (broadcaster)
ARD is a joint organization of Germany's regional public-service broadcasters...
nevertheless produced a provisonary second TV channel from 1 June 1961 until ZDF started its transmissions on 1 April 1963. Colour television was introduced on 25 August 1967.
The channel's original name of Deutsches Fernsehen was changed to ARD Deutsches Fernsehen in 1964, and to Erstes Deutsches Fernsehen ("First German Television") on 30 September 1984, before becoming simply Das Erste in 1997. Also around 1984, a new corporate design was introduced. The previous logo, a stylized eye, was replaced by a new logo showing a stylized number "1" which is still in use today. Since 1997, the channel is usually marketed as Das Erste, but the long name Erstes Deutsches Fernsehen is still used for rather official purposes (like the introduction of the main editions of its news programme Tagesschau that has been on air since 26 December 1952). Informally, it is still also known as ARD among viewers beside its official name of Das Erste.
Starting in February 2010 with the coverage of the 2010 Winter Olympics
2010 Winter Olympics
The 2010 Winter Olympics, officially the XXI Olympic Winter Games or the 21st Winter Olympics, were a major international multi-sport event held from February 12–28, 2010, in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada, with some events held in the suburbs of Richmond, West Vancouver and the University...
, Das Erste is being broadcast in high definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
.
Member broadcasting organizations
All nine of Germany's regional public-broadcasting organizations contribute to the output of Das Erste and broadcast its programming in a common schedule.Time assigned
Each regional member of ARD contributes programming to the channel's schedule in proportion to the population of the area it serves. The current (February 2006) time allocations as percentage shares of total broadcast hours are:| Broadcasting Organisation | % of total |
|---|---|
| Bayerischer Rundfunk Bayerischer Rundfunk Bayerischer Rundfunk [Bavarian Broadcasting] is the public broadcasting authority for the German Freistaat of Bavaria, with its main offices located in Munich. BR is a member of ARD.- Legal foundation :... (BR) |
15.25 |
| Hessischer Rundfunk Hessischer Rundfunk Hessischer Rundfunk is the public broadcaster for the German state of Hesse. The main offices of HR are in Frankfurt am Main. HR is a member of the ARD.- Studios :... (HR) |
7.35 |
| Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk is the public broadcaster for the federal states of Thuringia, Saxony and Saxony-Anhalt... (MDR) |
11.45 |
| Norddeutscher Rundfunk Norddeutscher Rundfunk Norddeutscher Rundfunk is a public radio and television broadcaster, based in Hamburg. In addition to the city-state of Hamburg, NDR transmits for the German states of Lower Saxony, Mecklenburg-Vorpommern and Schleswig-Holstein... (NDR) |
17.45 |
| Radio Bremen Radio Bremen Radio Bremen , Germany's smallest public radio and television broadcaster, is the legally mandated broadcaster for the city-state of Bremen... (RB) |
1 |
| Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg is an institution under public law for the states of Berlin and Brandenburg, situated in Berlin and Potsdam... (RBB) |
7 |
| Saarländischer Rundfunk Saarländischer Rundfunk Saarländischer Rundfunk is a public radio and television broadcaster for the German Bundesland of Saarland, with its headquarters in the Broadcasting House Halberg in Saarbrücken. SR is a member of the ARD.- Finances :... (SR) |
1.3 |
| Südwestrundfunk Südwestrundfunk The Südwestrundfunk is a public broadcasting company for the southwest of Germany, specifically the states of Baden-Württemberg and Rhineland-Palatinate. The company has main offices in three cities: Stuttgart, Baden-Baden and Mainz, with the director's office being in Stuttgart. It is an... (SWR) |
17.95 |
| Westdeutscher Rundfunk Westdeutscher Rundfunk Westdeutscher Rundfunk is a German public-broadcasting institution based in the Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia with its main office in Cologne. WDR is a constituent member of the consortium of German public-broadcasting institutions, ARD... (WDR) |
21.25 |
Programmes
- Beat-ClubBeat-ClubBeat-Club was a German music program that ran from September 1965 to December 1972. It was broadcast from Bremen, Germany on Erstes Deutsches Fernsehen, the national public TV channel of the ARD, and produced by one of its members, Radio Bremen, later co-produced by WDR following the 38th episode...
(cancelled) - Berlin, BerlinBerlin, BerlinBerlin, Berlin is a television series produced for the ARD. It aired in Germany from 2002 to 2005 Tuesdays through Fridays at 6:50PM on the German public TV network Das Erste. The show won both national and international awards.-Plot:...
(SFB, cancelled) - Ein Herz und eine SeeleEin Herz und eine SeeleEin Herz und eine Seele is a German sitcom aired in 1973/74 and 1976. It was essentially a remake of the British sitcom Till Death Us Do Part by Johnny Speight, and was written by Wolfgang Menge....
(NDR, cancelled) - Die KommissarinDie KommissarinDie Kommissarin is a German police TV series which aired on Das Erste. Its 66 episodes ran from 1994 till 2006....
- Harald SchmidtHarald SchmidtHarald Franz Schmidt is a German actor, writer, comedian and television entertainer best known as host of two popular German late-night shows.- Early life :...
(WDR) - LindenstraßeLindenstraßeLindenstraße is a German television show on ARD's Das Erste, one of Germany's two publicly administered TV channels. The first episode was aired on December 8, 1985, and since then has been broadcast weekly. Its current timeslot on Das Erste is Sundays at 6:50 pm...
(WDR) - Menschen bei MaischbergerSandra MaischbergerSandra Maischberger is a German journalist, talk show host, and author. She is the sister of German archeologist Martin Maischberger....
(RBB) - MarienhofMarienhof (TV series)Marienhof is a daily German soap opera, first shown on October 1, 1992 on German TV channel, Das Erste. The show was canceled in February 2011 and aired its last episode on June 15, 2011.-Background:...
- MusikladenMusikladenDer Musikladen was a West German music television programme that ran from December 13, 1972 to November 29, 1984. The show continued the 1960s Beat-Club under a new name, and in turn was replaced by Extratour.-History:...
(cancelled) - PolyluxPolyluxPolylux, the self-appointed "last/worst on the first [channel]" , is a weekly half-hour German television program hosted by Tita von Hardenberg...
(cancelled) - RaumpatrouilleRaumpatrouilleRaumpatrouille – Die phantastischen Abenteuer des Raumschiffes Orion , colloquially also known as Raumpatrouille Orion, and Space Patrol Orion in English, was the first German science fiction television series...
(cancelled) - SandmännchenSandmännchenUnser Sandmännchen, Das Sandmännchen, Abendgruß, Sandmann, Sandmännchen is a German children's bedtime television programme using stop motion animation...
(RBB) - SesamstraßeSesamstraßeSesamstraße is the German-language version of Sesame Street, a children's television program. It airs primarily in Germany and the surrounding German-speaking countries. The show premièred on 8th January 1973, Sesamstraße has been running on Norddeutscher Rundfunk since 1973; it's now in its...
(NDR) - Die Sendung mit der MausDie Sendung mit der MausDie Sendung mit der Maus is a highly acclaimed children's series on German television that has been called "the school of the nation". The show first aired on March 10, 1971...
(WDR) - Tagesschau (ARD Aktuell, NDR)
- TagesthemenTagesthemenTagesthemen is one of Germany's prime daily television news magazines, presented by journalists Caren Miosga and Tom Buhrow. Second only to the 8:00 PM Tagesschau Tagesthemen is the most important newscast of the ARD...
(ARD Aktuell, NDR) - TatortTatortTatort is a long-running German/Austrian/Swiss , crime television series set in various parts of these countries. The show is broadcast on the channels of ARD in Germany, ORF 2 in Austria and SF1 in Switzerland...
(all regional stations) - Verbotene LiebeVerbotene LiebeVerbotene Liebe , often abbreviated to VL, is a Rose d'Or Award-winning German television soap opera. The show was created by Reg Watson and first broadcast on Das Erste on 2 January 1995...
(WDR) - Wochenspiegel (ARD Aktuell, NDR)