Television in Denmark

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Television in Denmark was established in the 1950s, but was run by a monopoly with only one channel available until the 1980s.

Contents 1 History 2 List of channels 2.1 Must-carry terrestrial channels 2.2 Regional/local channels 2.3 Cable and satellite channels 2.4 Internet-based channels 3 See also

[edit] History

The first television broadcasts in Danmark started on October 2, 1951. These were carried out by the national radio broadcaster Statsradiofonien and consisted of a one hour broadcast three times per week. The broadcasts were initially limited to a few houndred homes in the capital area.

Daily broadcasts started in 1954. With the opening of the Gladsaxe transmitter, most of Zealand could watch television. The entire country was covered in 1960 when the transmitter on Bornholm opened. Statsradiofonien was renamed Danmarks Radio (DR) in 1959.

The first news programme, TV-Avisen, started in 1965. Colour television started in 1967.

In 1983, DR started trials with the regional television station TV Syd. Local television started in many parts of the country, challenging the DR monopoly. The monopoly on national television ended on October 1, 1988, when TV 2 started. TV 2 was located in Odense on Funen and received funding from both advertising and the television license. Eight regional stations were established within TV 2, one of which was TV Syd. Interrupting programmes for commercials was illegal (and still is, as of 2007), so commercials were broadcast between the programmes.

The first private satellite channel broadcasting in the Scandinavian languages had started in 1987 and was known as TV3. A separate Danish version started in 1990. TV3 was broadcasting from London and could therefore avoid the Danish advertising laws. TV3 launched a sister channel known as 3+ in 1996, by merging its two former channels TV6 and ZTV.

DR launched a satellite channel on August 30, 1996. It was known as DR2, and the first channel changed its name to DR1 accordingly.

The local television stations weren't allowed to network, which mean't that two stations couldn't show one programme at the same time. In 1997, the rules were relaxed, allowing the stations to simulcast a programme at the same time. This gave birth to the TV Danmark network.

TV 2 started a second channel in 2000. It was known as TV 2 Zulu and was a solely commercial venture. It was initially a free channel, but was changed into a pay channel in 2003. TV 2 have since launched various pay channels such as TV 2 Charlie, TV 2 Film and TV 2 News.

SBS, owners of TV Danmark, launched a sister channel called TV Danmark 1 in 2002. The original channel became TV Danmark 2. Just as TV3 and TV3+, TV Danmark 1 was broadcast from London. On April 4, 2004, TV Danmark 1 became Kanal 5. TV Danmark was renamed Kanal 4 on April 3, 2006 and left the terrestrial network on January 1, 2007. It was replaced by SBS Net, owned by the same company.

As both DR and TV 2 are owned by the state, the state-owned broadcasters have a relatively high viewing share, by European standards. When a new centre-right government was elected in 2001, it announced that it would privatize TV 2 within 100 days. This failed, but TV 2 was transformed into a government-owned company (aktieselskab) in 2003. TV 2 received license funding for the national channel for the last time in 2004.

Digital terrestrial television in Denmark was officially launched in March 2006, initially only carrying DR1, DR2 and TV 2.

[edit] List of channels

[edit] Must-carry terrestrial channels

All operators are required to carry these stations by law:

• DR1 - broadcast by the Danish Broadcast Corporation (DR)
• DR2 - broadcast by DR, previously not available by aerial, now available via DVB-T
• TV 2

[edit] Regional/local channels

• 24Nordjyske
• 24Sjællandske
• Aabenraa Lokal TV
• Aaalborg+ (former AN-TV)
• Kanal København
• KTV Kolding

These channels are broadcast from TV 2's frequencies:

• TV 2/Bornholm
• TV 2/Fyn
• TV 2/Lorry
• TV/Midt-Vest
• TV 2/Nord
• TV Syd
• TV 2 Øst
• TV 2/Østjylland

[edit] Cable and satellite channels

• DK4Danish
• Kanal 4
• Kanal 5
• Kanal 5 HD
• MTV Denmark
• SBS NETDanish
• The Voice TV Danmark
• TV 2 Charlie
• TV 2 Film
• TV 2 News
• TV 2 Sport
• TV 2 Zulu
• TV3
• TV3+

[edit] Internet-based channels

• TV 2 Sputnik - internet-based broadcast by TV 2
• dr.dk TV - internet-based broadcast by DR
• DR Update - internet-based 24/7 news broadcast by DR

[edit] See also

• Lists of television channels
• Danish Streaming Television

v • d • e Television in Europe Sovereign states Albania · Andorra · Armenia1 · Austria · Azerbaijan2 · Belarus · Belgium · Bosnia and Herzegovina · Bulgaria · Croatia · Cyprus1 · Czech Republic · Denmark4 · Estonia · Finland · France4, 5, 6 · Georgia2 · Germany · Greece · Hungary · Iceland · Republic of Ireland · Italy · Kazakhstan3 · Latvia · Liechtenstein · Lithuania · Luxembourg · Republic of Macedonia · Malta · Moldova · Monaco · Montenegro · Netherlands · Norway · Poland · Portugal · Romania · Russia3 · San Marino · Serbia · Slovakia · Slovenia · Spain6 · Sweden · Switzerland · Turkey3 · Ukraine · United Kingdom (England • Northern Ireland • Scotland • Wales) 1 Entirely in Southwest Asia.  2 Partially or entirely in Asia, depending on the border definitions.  3 / 4 / 5 / 6 Has part of its territory in Asia / North America / South America / Africa.