![Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-R26738,_Kombinierter_Fernseh-_und_Rundfunkempfänger](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/77/Bundesarchiv_Bild_183-R26738%2C_Kombinierter_Fernseh-_und_Rundfunkempf%C3%A4nger.jpg)
The first regular electronic
television service in Germany began in
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
on March 22, 1935, as
Deutscher Fernseh Rundfunk. Broadcasting from the
Fernsehsender Paul Nipkow
The Fernsehsender "Paul Nipkow" (''TV Station Paul Nipkow'') in Berlin, Germany, was the first public television station in the world. Carrying programming from Deutscher Fernseh-Rundfunk, it was on the air from 22 March 1935, until it was shut ...
, it used a 180-line system, and was on air for 90 minutes, three times a week. Very few receivers were ever privately owned, and viewers went instead to (television parlors). During the
1936 Summer Olympics, broadcasts, up to eight hours a day, took place in
Berlin
Berlin ( , ) is the capital and List of cities in Germany by population, largest city of Germany by both area and population. Its 3.7 million inhabitants make it the European Union's List of cities in the European Union by population within ci ...
and
Hamburg
(male), (female) en, Hamburger(s),
Hamburgian(s)
, timezone1 = Central (CET)
, utc_offset1 = +1
, timezone1_DST = Central (CEST)
, utc_offset1_DST = +2
, postal ...
. The
Nazis
Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in N ...
intended to use television as a medium for their
propaganda once the number of
television set
A television set or television receiver, more commonly called the television, TV, TV set, telly, tele, or tube, is a device that combines a tuner, display, and loudspeakers, for the purpose of viewing and hearing television broadcasts, or using ...
s was increased, but television was able initially to reach only a small number of viewers, in contrast to
radio
Radio is the technology of signaling and communicating using radio waves. Radio waves are electromagnetic waves of frequency between 30 hertz (Hz) and 300 gigahertz (GHz). They are generated by an electronic device called a transmi ...
. Despite many technical improvements to camera technology, allowing for higher resolution imaging, by 1939, and the start of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, plans for an expansion of television programming were soon changed in favor of radio. The production of the TV receiver
E1, that had just started was cancelled because of the war. Nevertheless, the Berlin station, along with one in occupied Paris (Fernsehsender Paris), remained on the air for most of
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
. A special magazine called ''Fernsehen und Tonfilm'' (i.e. ''Television and Sound film'') was published.
![Bundesarchiv Bild 146-2006-0196, Fernsehen im Lazarett](https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/4/47/Bundesarchiv_Bild_146-2006-0196%2C_Fernsehen_im_Lazarett.jpg)
In 1941 Kurt Wagenführ established the "''Institute for Broadcasting Studies and Television''" ("Institut für Rundfunkkunde und Fernsehrundfunk") at the
University of Berlin
Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin (german: Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, abbreviated HU Berlin) is a German public research university in the central borough of Mitte in Berlin. It was established by Frederick William III on the initiative ...
with support from the
Reich Ministry of Public Enlightenment and Propaganda
The Reich Ministry for Public Enlightenment and Propaganda (; RMVP), also known simply as the Ministry of Propaganda (), controlled the content of the press, literature, visual arts, film, theater, music and radio in Nazi Germany.
The ministry ...
.
1950s
After
World War II
World War II or the Second World War, often abbreviated as WWII or WW2, was a world war that lasted from 1939 to 1945. It involved the vast majority of the world's countries—including all of the great powers—forming two opposing ...
, it took several years to resume television transmissions. Immediately after the war, newspapers and radio were the only available mass media and they were under direct control of the Allied government, and were more likely to be in English or French than in German. In the West, the
United States
The United States of America (U.S.A. or USA), commonly known as the United States (U.S. or US) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It consists of 50 states, a federal district, five major unincorporated territori ...
, the
United Kingdom
The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom (UK) or Britain, is a country in Europe, off the north-western coast of the European mainland, continental mainland. It comprises England, Scotlan ...
and
France
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
had founded the
ARD, the ''Arbeitsgemeinschaft der öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten Deutschlands'' (''Cooperative association of the public broadcasters in Germany''). In the East, the
Soviet Union
The Soviet Union,. officially the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR),. was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 to 1991. A flagship communist state, ...
founded its own radio and later TV stations, known as ''
Deutscher Fernsehfunk
Deutscher Fernsehfunk (DFF; German for "German Television Broadcasting") was the state television broadcaster in the German Democratic Republic (GDR or East Germany) from 1952 to 1991.
DFF produced free-to-air terrestrial television programmin ...
'' (DFF). Many parts of Germany (particularly the GDR) received programming from both services.
The common aim of the Western Allies was to prevent the future abuse of broadcasting by the German government. Thus, the different regional networks were placed under the control of the ''
West German Länder'' governments. Even so, these services tended to reflect the broadcast practices of the occupying Allies. Thus,
NWDR
Nordwestdeutscher Rundfunk (NWDR; ''Northwest German Broadcasting'') was the organization responsible for public broadcasting in the German Länder of Hamburg, Lower Saxony, Schleswig-Holstein and North Rhine-Westphalia from 22 September 1945 to ...
, set up in the British occupation zone, reflected the attitudes of the
BBC #REDIRECT BBC #REDIRECT BBC
Here i going to introduce about the best teacher of my life b BALAJI sir. He is the precious gift that I got befor 2yrs . How has helped and thought all the concept and made my success in the 10th board exam. ...
...
, in the French zone, tended to be more French than German in its practices.
In 1948 the British occupation forces authorized
to make plans to broadcast television programs for the British zone, with the first signals sent on July 12, 1950.
A general test phase started on September 25, 1950. This initial service lasted two hours a night (transmitting 8-10 p.m.) and included news, variety shows, films, and television plays.