Das Erste

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.

History

The channel's first, experimental broadcasts started on 27 November 1950 as TV channel of the then NWDR, 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 1996. 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 1996 the channel is usually marketed as Das Erste, but the long version 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.

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 (BR)	15.25
Hessischer Rundfunk (HR)	7.35
Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR)	11.45
Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR)	17.45
Radio Bremen (RB)	1
Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB)	7
Saarländischer Rundfunk (SR)	1.3
Südwestrundfunk (SWR)	17.95
Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR)	21.25