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German Culture > Dish TV German 1 > Dish TV German 2
Programming Comparisons…
First of all, there is something you need to know about the Dish German channels: They are not real German TV — at least not the TV that Germans watch. The now defunct GERMAN TV had a nice slogan: “Watch what Germany watches!” Even that claim was a bit of a stretch (no German ads, more limited choices), but it included German news for Germans and it was much more like authentic German television than anything Dish Network now offers. - So let’s take a look.
DW-TV
The former GERMAN TV channel on Dish Network is now the DW-TV channel. Although Deutsche Welle broadcasts worldwide in many languages (radio and TV), the version in the USA is in German and English only. Unlike GERMAN TV, which had all its programming in German, DW-TV alternates between English and German. For one hour the news and other broadcasts are in German. In the next hour the programming is in English, and so on. DW-TV focuses primarily on news, weather, and cultural information. The news broadcast "Journal" provides the news sports, and weather from Berlin, alternately in German and English. The news (worldwide and from Germany / Europe) is primarily aimed at viewers outside of Germany, unlike the nightly news from ARD or ZDF. Non-news shows pop up occasionally, including "euromaxx" (fashion, art, cinema, music, other trends), "Pop Export" (music "made in Germany"), and a few others. Earlier DW-TV hinted at possibly providing some ARD or ZDF (German public TV networks) entertainment programs in the future, and in May 2007 they did indeed add several German talk shows from ARD and ZDF. But it is still a far cry from GERMAN TV and its full ARD/ZDF schedule.
WEB > DW-TV - USA
ProSiebenSat.1 Welt (Pro7)
Pro7 began broadcasting its U.S. programming in February 2005. The German commercial television network ProSiebenSat.1 Media AG, based in Unterföhring (Bavaria), operates a media empire that includes television, radio, internet, and cable/satellite pay TV in many European countries. For American viewers the ProSiebenSat.1 Welt channel is part of Dish Network's German package. Its programming is a mix of shows from Germany's Pro7, kabel eins, N24, and Sat.1 channels. Although it can be purchased separately, the Pro7 channel makes a good complement to news-oriented DW-TV by offering viewers more entertainment and sports. All-German Pro7 has a schedule that includes talk shows, detective series, comedy shows, movies, soap operas, and quiz shows (but complaints have been increasing about recent Pro7 programming changes). Pro7 also features some documentary/exposé reporting and N24 news, but its emphasis is on entertainment programing that can range from inane low-brow to quality high-brow levels. Although it would be interesting for American viewers, the German versions of "The Simpsons," "Will & Grace" or "Desperate Housewives" seen in Germany are not available on the U.S. Pro7 channel.
In December 2008, ProSiebenSat.1 Welt announced that its programming is now also available on Verizon’s FiOS TV (fiber optic service) network. The Verizon German package (including DW-TV) costs $14.99 per month. Pro7 is also available on NEXTV.
WEB > ProSiebenSat.1 Welt - with program guide
German Kino Plus
Since May 2007 this German movie channel has also been part of the DISH German Package. It features newer feature films and classic German films, TV series, and documentaries. But recently (fall 2008) some viewers have been complaining about the many repeat films and the ancient age of some of the TV series (“Tatort”) that GKP shows. You can see the GKP schedule for yourself at their website:
WEB > German Kino Plus - with programming info
EuroNews
In December 2006 Dish Network added the EuroNews network to its German channel line-up. EuroNews in German is now available as part of the German package (and some other language packages). However, there is a catch to getting this new channel. Although I have a SuperDish and currently receive the German-language package, a Dish representative told me that I would need a new satellite dish in order to receive the EuroNews channel in German, even though it is part of the package I already have! Because the EuroNews channels come from a different satellite, I would have to pay $99.00 to install a new dish in order to receive EuroNews in German. (I do get EuroNews in English.) However, new subscribers won't have that problem.
WEB > EuroNews (a much improved site!)
WEB > EuroNews (Deutsch)
WEB > Dish Network German Language Package
Cost: German Language Plus Package - $27.99 for all 4 channels; a la carte also available
BACK > Dish TV German Package (Part 1)
MORE > German TV in America - Other options
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