Free-to-air
The term free-TV ( free TV ) refers to the property of a television program to be able to receive unencrypted - regardless of the signal type (analog or digital) or the distribution channel ( Terrestrial, Cable, Satellite, Internet or otherwise). The opposite of free TV programs are encrypted program offerings, the so-called pay-TV (pay- TV), known by product name as Tele Club, DF1 or Sky Germany. Occasionally, the common name in English-speaking free-to -air [ ˌ fɹi təɛɹ ː ] is (short FTA) used an alternative to the concept of free TV.
Economic Aspects
On the German television market for free TV are financed mainly through the license fee television programs of public service broadcasters (ARD, ZDF, ORF, SRF ) and various commercial TV programs (among RTL, Sat.1, ProSieben), which financing primarily on television advertising or teleshopping. Both in terms of number of users than the sales achieved also provides Free TV in German-speaking countries, as in most countries of the world over Pay- TV, the much larger segment of the television market is: Just the advertising revenues of commercial broadcasters were in Germany in 2011 with 3.7 billion euro more than twice as high as the total revenues from pay- TV 1.5 billion.
Free TV is one of several pillars of exploitation of audiovisual products, including movies, series and sporting events. In general, the free-TV premiere of a feature film with staggered time interval (eg DVD) takes place after the movie premiere, the first publication first for the rental, later for the retail industry, as well as the premiere pay - TV. In sports broadcasts, the free TV often offers a limited selection over competing offerings in the Pay-TV: so only one game will be televised live and in full length, for example, in the German Free TV per matchday of the UEFA Champions League, while the pay-TV more parallel encounters of the same game day are offered.
Free TV privilege of broadcasting of major events
When closed by the German federal states Broadcasting Treaty stipulates that certain " events of major importance for society " to air in freely and be broadcast publicly available television programs and therefore should not be left exclusively for the pay- TV ( § 4). This is intended to prevent large parts of the population remain excluded from commercial considerations, the broadcaster or the rights holder transfers the massenattraktivsten major events. The protection list to which this regulation applies, currently includes the following sporting events:
The scheme is based on the adopted first time in 1989 Television without Frontiers Directive of the European Union, Directive 97/36/EC of 1997, which amended it, as well as the European Convention on Transfrontier Television of the Council of Europe in 1989. Similar lists of major events whose transmission on free TV to has done, apply in most European countries. In Austria and Switzerland also cultural and social events for the United Free TV are protected except sporting events: In Austria, the Vienna Opera Ball and the New Year's Concert of the Vienna Philharmonic, in Switzerland, the Swiss Wrestling and Alpine Festival.