Further concrete steps are planned on the way to the planned joint streaming network of ARD and ZDF. In the next few weeks, the ZDF announced on Friday in Mainz that it would initially start with general recommendations for documentaries and in the field of culture.
Once initial experiences have been evaluated, this networking will be extended to all genres. Further steps are a joint search for content on both media libraries of ARD and ZDF as well as a comprehensive login.
“Together with ARD, we have created the technical prerequisites for an exchange of content without building up new, cost-intensive structures,” said ZDF director Norbert Himmler on Friday in front of the television council in Mainz. In the future, users in the streaming network could then access all content from ZDF and ARD.
The discussion about closer cooperation between public service broadcasters in media libraries has been discussed for some time. In a speech last year, the director of the largest ARD broadcaster, Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), Tom Buhrow, brought up the idea of ??a single large media library in 2030, which he had expressed years ago. WDR program director Jörg Schönenborn also spoke out in favor of a large media library with all public broadcasters in the fall.
Intendant Himmler from ZDF, meanwhile, had spoken out in favor of two independent media libraries at ARD and ZDF at the end of 2022. He told the German Press Agency at the time that he did not see a common media library, but a closely linked content network.
In front of the television council, the ZDF director explained on Friday: “Our goal is a largely unrestricted cosmos of public service content, to which we want to invite other partners.” In the past few months, content from Phoenix, Arte, funk and 3sat has already been integrated into both media libraries. According to ZDF, initial contacts have now been made with ORF from Austria and SRG from Switzerland for a possible participation.
