Archive notice: This article was originally published on July 16, 2007. Links and embedded videos are preserved as part of the historical record.
The reliable and secure technology, the good picture and sound quality as well as the great variety of programmes convinced. In the first year, cable customers could already be offered 22 television and 23 radio channels – a variety of programmes that did not exist in any other European country at the time. Ten years after the birth of German cable television, 34 percent of German households were already using the cable connection to watch television; at the beginning of 2007 it was 54 percent.
From 22 TV channels to the great variety of programmes on cable television
Alongside the public-service broadcasters ARD, ZDF and the Third Channels, initially only RTLplus (1984; RTL from 1993), PKS (1984; as Sat.1 from 1985) and the channel Musikbox (Tele 5 from 1989, then DSF from 1993) flickered across the cable screens. MTV (1987), ProSieben (1989), Premiere (1991), der Kabelkanal (1992; then Kabel 1 from 1994), n-tv (1992), VOX (1993), RTL2 (1993), VIVA (1993), Super RTL (1995), tm3 (1995; as 9Live from 2001), N24 (2000) and others soon followed. But the public-service broadcasters also did not stop at the original offering. Alongside 3sat (1984), ARTE (1992) and, in 1997, the channels Phoenix, Ki.Ka and BR-alpha were added to the programme. Foreign channels also joined in the meantime, such as the English Sky Channel or the French basic programmes TF1, Antenne 2 and FR3. Furthermore, space was also allocated on the cable network for “Open Channels” following the American model. Today, 33 programmes can be found on analogue cable television.
The German cable network has, however, already been digitized for some time and thus offers a much larger programme selection via the cable connection. Germany’s largest cable network operator Kabel Deutschland currently supplies the cable networks with up to 100 digital, free-to-air television programmes. These include the digital programme bouquets from ARD and ZDF as well as all private and international channels relevant according to market shares. In addition, paid subscription TV (e.g. the digital programme package Kabel Digital Home or Bundesliga from Premiere) and TV on demand (Select Kino) are also possible. All one needs to receive digital cable television is a digital receiver and a smartcard. Analogue television continues to exist despite digital cable television. In principle, the analogue and digital TV signal is present at every cable socket. Households with more than one television can, for example, equip one TV set with a digital receiver and smartcard and continue to use the current 33 analogue television programmes via the other, e.g. in the bedroom. But another digital receiver can also be connected there.
More than 1 million customers already watch digital cable television
More than 1 million Kabel Deutschland customers already watch free-to-air cable television (free TV) in digital form. If the digital cable customers of pay-TV provider Premiere are added, the share of households already using digital cable television rises to 20 percent. For several years, an increasing number of cable customers have also had the possibility of telephoning or surfing the Internet via the cable connection.
Nostalgic moments on cable television: “Karlchen” and “ERNSTL”
The birth of German cable television is inextricably linked to the emergence of private television, whose programme structures also rubbed off on the public-service broadcasters. Thus, daily soaps, breakfast television and afternoon talk shows also found their way into the programmes of ARD and ZDF. But who does not like to remember the beginnings of cable television. The first RTL programme was the cult news programme “7 vor 7” with Hans Meiser and Björn-Hergen Schimpf. The hand puppet “Karlchen” also insisted on adding his two cents to general current events.
There was much public excitement because of “Der heiße Stuhl”, the programme “Eine Chance für die Liebe” with Erika Berger and, not least, Hugo Egon Balder’s scandalous strip show “Tutti Frutti”. Hugo Egon Balder was also responsible for two other ratings hits: On “Alles Nichts Oder?!”, colorful cakes flew into the faces of Balder and his partner Hella von Sinnen before the eyes of all Germany. Later, Balder’s “RTL Samstag Nacht” triggered the comedy boom on German television. “Traumhochzeit” was office conversation on Monday morning and “Der Preis ist heiß” with Harry Wijnvoord held its own for a record-worthy 18 years in German television programming.
Sat.1 landed another street sweeper with the legendary “Glücksrad”. Through the letter combination ERNSTL, many candidates won washing machines, trips or exercise bikes at the puzzle wall. “Bitte melde Dich” with Jörg Wontorra and “Nur die Liebe zählt”, running on Sat.1 since 1995, have successfully tugged at the heartstrings for years. But the public-service broadcasters also shaped cable television in the 1980s with legendary programmes: Rudi Carrell’s “Lass’ Dich überraschen” (WDR), “Verstehen Sie Spaß?” (SWR) with Paola and Kurt Felix, Dieter-Thomas Heck’s “Hitparade” (ZDF) or unforgettable hit series such as “Diese Drombuschs”, “Ich heirate eine Familie” or “Schwarzwaldklinik”.