Dutch media services
ARD is a joint organisation of Germany’s regional public-service broadcasters. It was founded in 1950 in West Germany to represent the common interests of the new, decentralised, post-war broadcasting services – in particular the introduction of a joint television network.
ARD maintains and operates a national television network, called Das Erste (“The First”) to differentiate it from ZDF, a.k.a. “das Zweite” (“The Second”), which started in 1963, as a separate public TV-broadcaster. The ARD network began broadcasting on 31 October 1954 under the name of Deutsches Fernsehen (“German Television”), becoming Erstes Deutsches Fernsehen (“First German Television”) with a corporate redesign in 1984; it adopted its current short name (Das Erste) in 1994. ARD’s programmes are aired over its own terrestrial broadcast network, as well as via cable, satellite and IPTV.
Journalist Michael Heussen from the German first public TV channel ARD is covering the latest developments in the south east of Ukraine for the background reportage program Tagesschau. An Ukraine convoy is stopped by pro-Russian forces and forced to turn around. The soldiers decide to… Read More
The German first public TV program ARD Weltspiegel re-broadcasts a more extensive reportage about Jewish people in Antwerp using genetic tests to fight the chance of diseases that are widespread in the Jewish community. Since orthodox Jews only marry and reproduce in their own community,… Read More
The international jury of the 57th annual World Press Photo Contest has selected an image by American photographer John Stanmeyer of the VII Photo Agency as the World Press Photo of the Year 2013. The picture shows African migrants on the shore of Djibouti city… Read More
Since orthodox Jews only marry and reproduce in their own community, genetic diseases like Tay-Sachs occur relatively often. In the 1980ties Rabbi Joseph Ekstein, based in Brooklyn New York, started an organisation with the name Dor Yeshorim (‘upright generation’), to fight genetic diseases to appear… Read More
After years of negotiation a new European rule to ban discarding unwanted fish overboard was agreed upon in May this year. Dutch fisherman and fish dealer Jan Geertsema wants to change the system by promoting fishing in a much more durable way, decreasing the number… Read More
On April 30, 2013 the whole world can follow the abdication of Queen Beatrix and the investiture of King Willem Alexander and his wife Queen Maxima. The city of Amsterdam is full of people dressed in orange because on the 30iest of April the Dutch… Read More
Suddenly it turns out that the kings’ song that is written and performed by various Dutch artists get loads of critics. Tens of thousands of people in the Netherlands have objected to an official King’s Song marking the 30 April investiture of Willem-Alexander. The writer… Read More
By law Maastricht coffee shops are only allowed to sell cannabis to people that officially live in the Netherlands. However, a court ruling in favour of one coffee shop located in Maastricht and that was closed by the Maastricht mayor Onno Hoes because it broke… Read More
The German public broadcaster ARD wants actual video footage of the Dutch Queen Beatrix. One of the last official activities of the queen, before her abdication, is visiting the European School in Bergen to celebrate the 50 years anniversary of the international school. A very… Read More
The EU’s law enforcement agency, Europol, has been asked to assist in the investigations into the Europe-wide horse meat scandal. The investigations started after beef lasagna products, which are made by a French company, were found to contain up to 100% horse meat. The alarm… Read More
A Dutch court has rejected four out of five allegations against Anglo-Dutch oil giant Shell over oil pollution in Nigeria’s Niger Delta region. But it found a subsidiary of the firm, Shell Nigeria, responsible for one case of pollution, ordering it to pay compensation to… Read More
Suddenly it becomes clear that Queen Beatrix of the Netherlands will resign in favour of her son, Prince Willem-Alexander this year. In a prerecorded address broadcast on TV, she said she will formally stand down on 30 April this year. The Queen, who is approaching… Read More