There is high interest in the so-called ‘3rd party programming’ block on Germany’s Sat.1, according to the national office of regional media authorities, Landeszentrale für Medien und Kommunikation (LMK).
The German regulators oblige the two major private broadcasters, RTL and Sat.1, to open up part of their prime time schedule to third parties, who can contribute editorial-free programming about culture, education and information. At the moment, Sat.1 carries programming from Spiegel TV and Planetopia.
The LMK has now opened up applications for these programming slots on Sat.1, which are due to start in June 2013. According to a press release from the regulators there is ‘high interest’.
Among the parties submitting programme ideas are News and Pictures Fernsehen, DCTP, N24 Media (the 24 hour German news channel, formerly part of the ProSiebenSat.1 Group), Eikon Nord TV- und Filmproduktion, meta productions Gesellschaft für Film- und Fernsehproduktion mbH and MO.TIVI Filmproduktion.
The LMK will decide at the end of 2012 which of the applicants will receive airtime on Sat.1.
