2024: 40 years private media from audio to video – „2024 is the year when the political course for our industry is set for the next decade“

40 years ago marked the birth of private broadcasting and thus of today’s private audio and audiovisual media in Germany. On 1 January 1984, SAT.1 (then PKS) went on air as the first private TV station and Radio Weinstraße as the first private radio station, followed one day later by RTL plus. From 1984 onwards, nothing was the same as before – private television and private radio broke with the listening and viewing habits that had previously been dominated exclusively by public broadcasting – German broadcasting became more diverse, more colourful, more creative and more innovative.

Today, private audio and audiovisual media are firmly established and several generations of media users have grown up with their protagonists, formats and content. An unparalleled diversity of private providers and offerings now ranges from audio to video and from podcasts to streaming. The creative industries, with private media offerings as an important sub-sector, have become one of the most important economic sectors in Germany. Private audio and audiovisual media are highly relevant to democracy and society. Today, they guarantee journalistic quality and are a reliable counterweight to algorithms and disinformation.

Claus Grewenig, CEO of VAUNET and Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of RTL Germany: „As an industry, we are proud of what we have achieved, which is why we will celebrate 2024 and accompany the theme throughout the year with various events and publications. These will allow us not only to look back, but most of all to look forward.

For our industry, 2024 will be the year when the political course is set for the next decade. This applies to our refinancing options by waiving advertising bans, as well as to the future of the dual media system and the competitive relationship with ‚big tech‘ in the implementation of the new European platform regulation. The year 2024 will determine what the industry will look like on its 50th birthday.“

The attached “40 YEARS ON” logo will serve as a unifying element for the anniversary activities in 2024.

In an interview published today by epd medien, Claus Grewenig comments in detail on the key issues of the new year. The interview is available online here (in German): https://medien.epd.de/article/506