ARD - Association of Public Broadcasting Corporations of the Federal Republic of Germany

With a budget of €6.3 billion and 23,000 employees, the ARD is the world's largest public broadcaster

ARD operates a national television network, known since 1994 as Das Erste (das ejeste)("The First"), which is itself often referred to as ARD

The ARD network began broadcasting in 1952 under the name of Deutsches Fernsehen (doijis fhansejin)("German Television"), becoming Erstes Deutsches Fernsehen ("First German Television") with the introduction of a new corporate design on 1 October 1984.

ARD's programming is broadcast directly to homes throughout Germany over its own extensive digital terrestrial broadcast network. ARD also produces a digital package of three free-to-air channels (EinsFestival, EinsPlus and EinsExtra)

Satellite Channels:

Phoenix (events, news, and documentaries), KI.KA (children's programmes), 3sat (cultural/traditional programming), and arte (Franco-German cultural programming)