Private company

Sat.1

Logo: ProSiebenSat.1 Media SE, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons3

German TV station

Sat.1 (German pronunciation: ) is a German free-to-air television channel that is a part of the ProSiebenSat.1 Media Group. Sat.1 was first launched in January 1984 and was initially named PKS (Programmgesellschaft für Kabel- und Satellitenrund). The network is considered to be the first privately owned television network in Germany, initially a joint venture of various publishing houses, and was rebranded into its current name in January 1985.2 Wikipedia text CC BY-SA 4.0

Last updated Oct 20, 2026.

Overview

Jan 1, 1984Founded1

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Sat.1 (German pronunciation: [zatˈˀaɪ̯ns]) is a German free-to-air television channel that is a part of the ProSiebenSat.1 Media Group.2

The story

The channel was created following the election of Helmut Kohl who announced the creation of the first cable pilot projects, the first of which began on 1 January 1984 in Ludwigshafen. The channel launched on that day as PKS, one day before the launch of competitor RTL. The channel wasn't successful, as only 2,600 households received it (even though it enabled nationwide coverage using a weak satellite), and RTLplus, which initially broadcast from Luxembourg, upon obtaining a VHF frequency (channel 7) unused from West Germany, gained a foothold. Leo Kirch was PKS's largest shareholder, though he had indirect control. Early evening programming included non-commercial and sophisticated current affairs programmes and news magazines, which were seen as boring for the average viewer.

The first face seen on PKS was that of Jürgen Doetz.

From Wikipedia’s article on Sat.1, shared under CC BY-SA 4.0.4

Subsidiaries and ownership

Owners

From Wikidata.1

Timeline

  1. Jan 1, 1984Founded Founded1

Sources

The numbers on this page point here. Each one links to the record it came from.

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