German international service Deutsche Welle (DW) wants to set up a Turkish language television channel in the coming years.
The prerequisite for this, however, is that the increase in the broadcaster’s budget on which political parties CDU/CSU and SPD agreed in their coalition agreement will be realised, DW’s general director Peter Limbourg told the German Parliament’s Culture Committee.
Deutsche Welle currently operates German, English, Spanish and Arabic language TV channels. According to Limburg, the broadcaster reaches around 85 million users through its TV service and 36 million via its radio and online offerings.
Over the next few years, Deutsche Welle intends to focus primarily on Russia and Eastern Europe, Turkey, the Arab world, sub-Saharan Africa, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Iran.