The German shopping channels QVC and Channel 21 have acquired terrestrial capacity in the Rhein-Main area in the state of Hesse.
The media authority of the state, the Hessische Landesmedienanstalt LPR, has awarded the channel vacated by Eurosport to the German version of the QVC home shopping channel. Euronews was another contender for the capacity, but the Lyons-based news channel withdrew its application during the licensing process.
Channel 21, the former RTL Shop, has entered into an agreement with the regional private broadcaster Rhein-Main-TV to share channel capacity on their terrestrial channel. The shopping channel will be available 20 hours a day on the DTT network, from midnight until 20.00 every day.
The two channels will be available to around 2.3 to 3 million viewers in the area surrounding the cities of Frankfurt am Main and Wiesbaden. Viewers in the region now have access to 24 digital terrestrial channels, including the main channels from private broadcasters RTL and ProSiebenSat.1.