ORF wants to retain the 3sat community channel
Published: Sunday, Oct 20th 2024, 12:40
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A few days before an expected decision by the prime ministers on a possible merger of the cultural channels 3sat and Arte, the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF) is clearly in favor of retaining 3sat. The TV channel - a joint channel of ZDF, ORF, Schweizerische Radio- und Fernsehgesellschaft (SRG) and ARD, to which ORF contributes 25 percent of the program - is important for Austria in order to make national media productions accessible to an international audience.
In addition, political discourse in Europe will be promoted in the long term. "This is why ORF is clearly committed to the continued existence of 3sat," the broadcaster announced.
"A possible reduction or even the possible elimination of the entire offering would be a serious loss for the media landscape in Germany, Austria and Switzerland." ORF Director General Roland Weissmann called the broadcaster a "platform for critical debate" and an "indispensable stage for art and culture".
He referred to the numerous signatories of a transnational petition to preserve 3sat. "You can rest assured that ORF is already in intensive discussions with the directors of the partner broadcasters involved about the future of the service and is fully committed to preserving 3sat."
At the end of September, the federal states presented a draft for a broadcasting reform of ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio. Nothing has been decided yet. The federal states continue to list the TV channels 3sat and Arte under a cultural offering. However, they add: In coordination with the European public broadcasters involved, the content of 3sat is to be "partially or completely" transferred to the Arte program and its digital offerings.
There is no obligation, according to the states' comments on the reform. If all state premiers and all state parliaments agree, the broadcasting reform could come into force in summer 2025 as envisaged by the states. The state premiers want to discuss the broadcasting reform at a conference in Leipzig next week.
The 3sat channel will be 40 years old this year. The 3sat partner stations in Switzerland and Austria should ultimately have a say in the matter.
©Keystone/SDA
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