Toshada and many others of you have asked me to speak on the topic of television in Germany. You!

Can you imagine that in 1929 a regular television program was aired? While still in poor resolution, but still! 1936 Olympic summer games were shown on television, a big event for the Third Reich. Of course, back then everything was still to see black and white. It was the color television in Germany until 1967 for all spectators, who had a matching device. Today, 95% of German households have a TV.

At the beginning of television was a luxury - and rather boring. Because there were few television stations and these are submitted only for a short time. Even when I was a kid, television was still very different from today. At night there was only a test image to see a colorful graphic and the stations have shut down. There were the two main public broadcasters ARD and ZDF, the third program, which are regional stations for each state, and until 1984 there were also private television channel in Germany. Best known here are RTL, SAT1 and ProSieben. Because there are so few stations were at the beginning, they were numbered from the audience - and this phenomenon is still there today. The ARD is called "The First", with the second one says the ZDF, the Second German Television, and the third are the programs.

ARD and ZDF, and the third are financed mostly from license fees. Every German who makes money and has a TV, pays a fee to the so-called GEZ. In the evening of 20 clock may show these stations no more ads. The public broadcasters have an educational mission, it will mainly provide information. Today they make a contribution but also for entertainment. On Friday evening there is the third good talk shows such as "3 to 9" or the "NDR Talk Show", on Saturday evening there is entertainment shows and on Sunday evening in the ARD the "crime scene", the most famous German crime for "Derrick". On Sunday, the "Linden Street", a weekly series, running since 1985. There are three major German female talker, they are all very good journalists: Anne Will, Maybrit Illner and Sandra Maischberger. For children, the ARD also produces wonderful programs, such as the famous "mission with the mouse," a knowledge program, see the many adults.

The private stations are financed entirely from advertising revenue. There are primarily two major companies in Germany, making the TV: ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG is headquartered in Munich, and it includes four television stations. As the title suggests, are the ProSieben, SAT1, to run one more cable where many American sitcoms and N24, a news channel.

The second major company, RTL Group is based in Cologne, who belong to the RTL, the news channel n-tv and parts of RTL2, Super RTL and VOX. RTL launched in 1992 the first German soap opera, which is a soap opera. It's called "Good times, bad times," and will be shown daily on television. For some years there are telenovelas in Germany. Evening run, but mostly the big American shows like "Dr. House, "" Desperate Housewives "and so on, they have all been translated into German and synchronized.

There are many other channels, such as music channels like MTV or VIVA, we receive CNN and the BBC in some areas. I myself have cable television, so my TV comes from the outlet. I have 34 channels to choose from, most of it is nonsense, such as shopping channel. But you can also install a satellite dish, then you have a larger selection of global features. Or you use pay TV and pay for a set-top box, then you can also watch other channels. In Germany, the pay-TV provider Premiere was known until recently, now it is called Sky.

Purely subjective, I can tell you that ARD and ZDF make mostly good-quality programs, but often for an older audience. There ie also folk music programs running in the evening. The prime time starts at 20.15 clock in our way, because by 20 clock runs the most popular news program in Germany, the daily show, which gives it as a podcast. RTL mainly entertainment, movies, and then run the programs "Who is a millionaire" or "Germany seeks the superstar" that were copied from the U.S.. "Germany seeks the superstar" is in the original "American Idol". Sat1 and ProSieben also provide movies and entertainment shows, ProSieben is currently known for shows like "Popstars" supermodel Heidi Klum or broadcast show. Casting is currently at all-formats the big hit in Germany. You make quota, which means: The audience is high, many people see these shows.

The most famous German mission, however, is not an American copy, but a purely German idea: "Wetten, dass ...?". It exists since 1981. In the program close bets from people. These are often curious things. For example, one man made a bet that he can drink a bowl of water faster than his dog. When betting patrons are invited celebrities. Then they say: Yes, creates the man das. Or: No, he does not succeed. If they lose, they must do something - for example, occur in women's clothes or jump through a burning hoop. Thomas Gottschalk moderates this program since 1987. He is the most famous show host in Germany. What are the important people in the German television landscape, it still? For example, Günther Jauch. He hosts "Who is a millionaire" and "Stern.TV", a journalistic magazine. He is so popular in Germany that he is always in polls elected Federal President. Sassy and sarcastic, Harald Schmidt, who was long active in the role as Nightstalker, which hold in the U.S. Jay Leno and David Letterman. There are many others, Stefan Raab, Johannes B. Kerner, Jörg Pilawa, Oliver Pocher, Reinhold Beckmann. But for now I have said enough. Your already noted, there is much to say about this topic! If you feel like on German TV: ARD and ZDF have a media library where you can browse the Internet. And all the stations now have their own programs or parts thereof found as a podcast on the Internet. The show with the mouse I can recommend highly!

Now, however, play music, from the songwriters' Simon & Jan ". The piece is called "The Panel" and can be found on MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/simonundjan

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Toshada and many others of you have asked me to speak on the topic of television in Germany. You! Can you imagine that in 1929 a regular television program was aired? While still in poor resolution, but still! 1936 Olympic summer games were shown on television, a big event for the Third Reich. Of course at that time ...