The public networks are financed largely by the audience, so anyone who owns a radio or television is obliged to pay a monthly fee to the ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice. Subscribers should register with the ARD ZDF Deutschlandradio Beitragsservice, Freimersdorfer Weg 6, 50829 Köln. The forms needed are available at banks and savings institutions or at the Registration Office (Einwohnermeldeamt). If you move away from Germany, don't forget to cancel your registration.

Those who enjoy diplomatic privileges based on the Vienna Agreement on diplomatic relations (18 April 1961) or corresponding legal provisions are exempt from these fees. If you are uncertain about your status, please enquire at the

Protocol Division/Bonn Office of the Federal Foreign Office (Außenstelle Protokoll Bonn)
Adenauerallee 99-103 (entry via Tempelstraße)
53113 Bonn
Phone: 01888 17 46 95

Public television

The three major stations are ARD, ZDF, and WDR (regional).

Cable TV: An increasing number of channels - such as CNN, MTV, BBC World, NBC SuperChannel, RTBF (Belgium, in French), ARTE (French/German), 3 sat, euroNEWS, TV5, VOX can be received through "Telekom", "Unitymedia" or "Vodafone".

Pay TV, such as Sky (the most common pay TV channel), is also available.

Satellite: About 100 international programmes can be received directly by satellite.

Please note that it will require the landlord's consent if you wish to install a satellite dish and receiver. All costs of installation must be borne by the tenant.

Also, you need a digital or HDTV Receiver as analogue broadcasting via Astra satellite and Cable TV is no longer available in Germany.