Facts and Figures at a Glance
June 6, 2007
... is Germany’s international broadcaster
... has the statutory mission to "promote understanding of Germany as an independent nation with its roots in European culture and as a liberal, democratic, constitutional state based on the rule of law." It is also meant to "give a forum in Europe and on other continents to German and other points of view on important issues, with the aim of fostering understanding and exchange between cultures and people." At the same time, it is also to help spread the German language.
... fulfils this mission with services in three different media:
DW-RADIO in 30 languages (German and English 24 hours a day)
DW-TV in German and English, Arabic and Spanish
DW-WORLD.DE – the 30-language Internet service with many additional information portals and service pages, such as study-germany.de and qantara.de (the dialogue portal).
... runs the DW-AKADEMIE, where radio professionals from developing and transition countries receive further training and young DW journalists are schooled. The DW-AKADEMIE also offers "Intercultural Media Training" for top German executives and institutions looking to go abroad. The DW-AKADEMIE is to be extended: in cooperation with universities and colleges in NRW, a Masters course is being introduced.
... is comprised of a team of around 1,500 employees from more than 60 countries.
... particularly targets opinion-shapers and decision-makers, German speakers, and people learning German outside Germany. Germans who are living abroad on a temporary or permanent basis use DW as a "bridge to home".
... reaches more than 90 million listeners and viewers worldwide every week.
... receives well over half a million responses to its programmes and online services every year.
... broadcasts and distributes its programmes and services via a worldwide satellite network, partner stations (rebroadcasting) and on the Internet; radio programmes are broadcast chiefly on short wave – including digital short wave – and on medium wave and FM in some regions and major cities.
... first went on the air on May 3, 1953.
... is a public-service broadcaster and is funded by the government from taxpayers’ money.
... has had its headquarters in Bonn: DW-RADIO programmes and the website DW-WORLD.DE are produced in the broadcasting centre in the former government district, while DW’s television activities are located in Berlin on Voltastrasse.
... Erik Bettermann has been Director-General since 2001, and was confirmed in this capacity at the end of 2006 for a further six years.
... The chairmen of the Broadcasting Board and the Administrative Board are, respectively, Valentin Schmidt and Dr. Franz Schoser.
May 2007