Europe

DW (Arabia 2) has been broadcasting DW’s Arabic programming for Arabic-speaking audiences in Western Europe via satellite partner SES Astra since December. Specially developed news and educational programming from German public broadcasters ARD and ZDF is now also being included on the channel. Target viewers for DW (Arabia 2) are Arabic-speaking refugees and immigrants currently in Western Europe who can benefit from independent journalism and important cultural information.

South America

Brazilian TV broadcaster Climatempo will be carrying DW’s Futurando and Camarote.21 starting in April 2016and available with providers like SKY, GVT, Oi and Samsung TV apps. Climatempo’s technical range of 9 million households will significantly increase the presence of  these regionally tailored programs in Brazil. Climatempo’s website will also be integrating DW’s Portuguese for Brazil online content.

Africa

DW is increasing its presence in West Africa with numerous new partnerships in Niger and Burkina Faso. In Niger, TV Anfani is now broadcasting DW’s English channel. The expanded partnership also marks 20 years of broadcasting cooperation, beginning in 1996 between Radio Anfani and DW. Additionally, Shukrah FM and Radio Kaocen are now broadcasting DW’s Hausa and French radio programming to radio listeners in Niger. In neighboring Burkina Faso, the TV provider Burkina Info is now broadcasting DW’s English channel. And for the first time in the Loroum region of the country, DW’s French radio programming will be available via programming partner Radio La Voix du Loroum.

In South Africa, the motor sports channel Ignition TV and the business news channel Business Day TV from the Times Media Group are now carrying select DW programming.

The Scorpions, the most successful German rock band of all time, announced in 2010 that they were going to leave the stage forever and wanted to go out loud with a three-year international farewell tour. But somewhere along the way, the magic of rock and roll inspired them to keep going and they are celebrating their 50th anniversary in 2015 with a new album, a world tour and the release of a documentary film co-produced by DW. Directed by Katja von Garnier, Forever and a Day is a must-see for any Scorpions fan. It follows the band on their farewell tour and delivers an intimate portrayal of the musical passion which has sustained them for 50 years. The film premiered on February 7 in Berlin and will be released in Germany on March 26 with international release dates to follow. The film is sure to become another one of DW’s acclaimed musical productions like The Highest Level, with Chinese Pianist Lang Lang or The Beethoven Project, featuring star composer Paavo Järvi. Work on the film began in 2011 and von Garnier used her expert sensitivity and insight to find meaning behind the music. Besides chronicling the challenges and triumphs of the three-year tour, Forever and a Day also reveals secrets of the Scorpion’s history, including never-before-seen footage of super 8 films from the band’s archive. The show must go on and after being inspired by audiences from Thailand to the USA, the Scorpions are going back on tour in 2015, with Forever and a Day being shown in theaters at every stop along the way. After the German release at the end of March, the film will be broadcast worldwide on DW in English, German, Spanish and Arabic. A DVD will also be released.  DW partners on the project were the distribution company Tempest Film, producers DOKfilm ,  German broadcasters ZDF and Arte, Nordmeida Film Promotion and the German Federal Film Board, FFA.

Peter Limbourg will be the new Director General of Deutsche Welle (DW). On March 15, the Broadcasting Board elected the current Senior Vice President of News and Political Information of ProSiebenSat.1 TV Germany as the successor to Erik Bettermann with a clear majority. Bettermann, whose term as DW’s Director General will officially end on September 30, 2013, has been in charge of Germany’s international broadcaster since 2001.

“Together with my colleagues, I hope to further enhance Deutsche Welle’s journalistic standing and its multilingual and multimedia programming. Intensifying DW’s cooperation with Germany’s public service broadcasters ARD and ZDF is another goal I have set myself,” said Limbourg.

 

The FIFA Women’s World Cup is in full gear in Germany – and a special project from DW-AKADEMIE is helping to provide more coverage to the feminine side of soccer. DW-AKADEMIE invited eight TV journalists – from Bhutan, Egypt, Palestine, Ghana, Nigeria, Colombia, Brazil and Mexico to take part in a workshop in Berlin. The results from “Reporting the Women’s World Cup 2011” have already been broadcast on ZDF (in German) and Phoenix and are now also available on the DFB website. The team also includes trainees in media design (audio and video) and will produce a total of 20 stories surrounding the Women’s World Cup.

Find out more about DW-AKADEMIE or check out DW’s coverage of the Women’s World Cup.