Arte
It began as a project to promote Franco-German understanding – nowadays ARTE is a channel for Europe.
The birth of ARTE and German reunification went hand in hand: the contract to establish the Franco-German cultural channel was signed on 2 October 1990, the day before German reunification. The aim was “to acquaint the Germans and the French with the culture of the other country and to encourage them to embrace European unification,” is how the channel, looking back, describes the founding philosophy. The first programme broadcast by ARTE (Association Relative à la Télévisione Européenne) was its inauguration ceremony from Strasbourg Opera House on 30 May 1992. Most households in both Germany and France were able to receive the channel right from the start. There was greater awareness of ARTE at first in France, however, because there were fewer rival channels there. Even today, the broadcaster has somewhat higher ratings in France than in Germany. Recently, its market share was 2.9 per cent in France and 1.2 per cent in Germany. According to ARTE, its viewing figures have remained stable in the past years.