English information:ZDF
ZDF: the German national public service television. The independent non-profit corporation, founded and regulated by the Länder – the sixteen states of the Fed. Rep. of Germany.
We provide the 84 million inhabitants of Germany with information, education and entertainment.
Our aim is for our content to reach and be relevant to all of the very diverse segments of our audience – in the service of society as a whole.
Our name Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen translates to Second German Television and dates back to 1963, when our nationwide channel began broadcasting: In West Germany at the time, ZDF was the new and only alternative to Channel 1 of ARD, the association of regional public broadcasters.
Over the six decades of our existence, the competition by commercial broadcasters, multi-channel television via cable and satellite, the political reunification of Germany and, of course, the ongoing digital revolution have all been major challenges that have changed our environment.
ZDF has been constantly evolving and adapting, and remains one of the country’s leading sources of information, enjoying a high level of public trust.
“ZDF” has been Germany’s most-watched TV channel for 12 years. Our most successful programmes include live sport, news and political analysis, feature films and series as well as history and science documentaries.
As a provider of audiovisual content we face the strategic challenge that viewing habits are shifting from traditional linear TV to online streaming and new formats driven by social media.
ZDF was Germany’s first TV broadcaster to open our own streaming platform “ZDF Mediathek” in 2001 – long before YouTube or Netflix.