Children's Television: The German Situation

Abstract

This article provides an overview of the current state of and future prospects for children's television in the Federal Republic of Germany. It begins with a brief description of current television provision for children, and of children's viewing patterns, and it suggests that views of children's relations with the medium are heavily influenced by social class. The article goes on to describe the structural features of broadcasting and of media regulation in Germany, paying particular attention to the federal structure and the balance between public and private. The implications of this situation for children's programming are then analysed, with particular attention paid to the heavy regulation of advertising on free-to-air channels, and the need to protect children's slots in the context of a general move towards specialist channels. The article concludes by outlining the terms of recent public debates about the social purpose and quality of children's television.