Digital channel ZDFkultur faces closure

The general director of German public broadcaster ZDF, Thomas Bellut, is said to propose to its general assembly and the federal German states the closure of digital channel ZDFkultur, in its current form.

The stability of the public TV licence fee demanded by politicians would force ZDF to cut costs, Bellut explained in Mainz.

Bellut said ZDFkultur should be turned into a repeat and loop service as quickly as possible until the federal states have reached a final decision. Selected programmes would be taken over by ZDFneo and 3sat.

The closure of ZDFkultur would pave the way for the joint youth channel planned by ARD and ZDF for which both public broadcasters want to give up one digital channel each. ARD has already agreed to axe Eins Plus in favour of the youth channel.