ZDFtheaterkanal was a TV station and part of the digital TV package offered by ZDF. The channel was broadcast daily from 9 am until 2 am the following day, starting on 9 December 1999. The broadcasting was stopped on 7 May 2011 in favor of ZDFkultur.
The program was broadcast nationwide via the TV cable network (DVB-C) and the Astra 19.2°E (DVB-S). In addition, the channel was accessible via the IPTV offers Telekom Entertain and Alice [de] as well as with via Zattoo.
In the summer of 2008, plans were presented to convert ZDFtheaterkanal into a cultural channel.[1][2] On 7 May 2011, at 6:30 am, the new channel ZDFkultur[3] started and replaced ZDFtheaterkanal to cover the topics of music, performing arts, film culture, network culture and gaming.[4] The cut-over took place on 7 May 2011 at 1:20 AM.
ZDFtheaterkanal (as well as the following station ZDFkultur) was directed by Wolfgang Bergmann,[5] previously by Walter Konrad.[6]
The channel broadcast a program that took into account all areas of the performing arts. These included the broadcasting of stagings, documentaries, portraits and interviews. Since the mid-2000s, the program has been supplemented by other art forms. Thus, music formats such as Later with Jools Holland or concert recordings were broadcast.
