September 17, 2024, 8:19 am | Read time: 6 minutes
In addition to the major private TV channels and some public channels, which as a whole cater to a more commercial taste, there are also channels for very specific interests. TECHBOOK presents niche channels available in Germany whose content or concept is – hopefully without offending anyone – somewhat absurd.
As we all know, there’s no accounting for taste. Among many other areas of life, this also applies to television and streaming behavior. For one person, it may be inconceivable that another enjoys watching so-called trash TV. For others, the enthusiasm for anime may be met with incomprehension. Linear TV even caters to even more “special” areas of interest. TECHBOOK has collected perhaps the most absurd TV channels in Germany for you.
AstroTV
You’ve probably thought of it too: the self-proclaimed “TV channel for spirituality and life coaching,” better known as AstroTV. It will cease broadcasting at the end of 2024. However, it is still broadcasting and should, of course, not be missing from TECHBOOK’s list of the most absurd TV channels.
Even though the channel has always been somewhat controversial, AstroTV can look back on “over 20 years of successful broadcasting in Germany and Europe.” This was already stated in a press release from the broadcaster in 2022. At the time, the US company Ingenio had taken it over, and the intention was to create the world’s largest provider of astrological content. For anyone hearing this for the first time, AstroTV stands for horoscopes, clairvoyance, and card reading. So-called AstroTV consultants or “modern-day shamans” guide viewers through the program. Among them is the self-proclaimed life coach Thorsten Gabriel; here is his image video:
Viewers call in during the program and seek advice from the presenters, according to the channel’s concept. He was not only ridiculed but also harshly criticized because he capitalized on the requests for help – the calls cost money. This can lead to an expensive spiral of addiction.
AstroTV will only be available via satellite and cable until the end of the current year. The channel wants to realign itself. However, its content and the questionable “advisory service” are to be retained digitally. For example, there is already live card reading via the AstroTV app, and the entire program is broadcast as a live stream on YouTube.
Schlager Deluxe
Fans of German pop, especially Schlager music, should have a lot of fun with the Schlager Deluxe channel. Music tracks and music videos are played there all day long. The service has been available since December 2020. There is also a radio station of the same name and a live stream on the website. Both established and younger names from the scene can be heard and seen.
The station has made a significant comeback with this concept. The station has actually been around since 2005, both then and now, as Deluxe Music. However, the station also used a lot of teleshopping and long advertising blocks. This was less well received; the station had to file for insolvency in 2012. After a change at the top, however, things went noticeably better for the company until Schlager Deluxe, a somewhat absurd but nevertheless quite successful TV station, was launched. You can now listen to Schlager all day long on free TV.
Juwelo TV
“How about we watch some jewelry?” That’s what it might sound like when someone tries to get you to switch to Juwelo TV. The name ‘Juwelo’ aptly reflects its focus: the sale of jewelry and gemstones. Juwelo TV can be received via cable or satellite and, of course, now also online. However, it is not a classic online store. The products are available for purchase or auction exclusively while being showcased by a presenter during the program. The availability of the products is counted down live – a popular and often successful way of encouraging viewers to make a spontaneous purchase.
Juwelo was founded by Thomas Jarmuske and Anuja Dangayach, who both describe themselves as “jewelry experts.” Juwelo TV Deutschland GmbH operates the TV channel.
Sonnenklar.TV
Some of you may have considered Sonnenklar.TV as a travel agency. This is because there is actually a booking page connected to the homepage. However, the television program, available via cable and satellite (as well as online via livestream), is essentially a sales program for vacation trips. Why should you watch it? Well, the channel’s viewers – which, according to the company website, are “more than 2 million” every day – are mainly older people. Or “best agers,” as they call them. At Sonnenklar.TV, they are presented with vacation offers in moving images and in a way that is easy to understand. If viewers are interested, they can pick up the phone and get help with further travel planning.
“Sonnenklar.TV is a brand of Euvia Travel GmbH, which in turn is a subsidiary of the traditional and renowned tour operator FTI Touristik GmbH,” can be read on the website. That’s right, the aforementioned FTI filed for insolvency this year. However, this does not affect Sonnenklar.TV because the channel always works with independent and autonomous travel agencies.
Bible TV
“The Christian-oriented free TV channel Bibel TV broadcasts a 24-hour full program that covers the entire spectrum of journalistic and entertainment formats.” This is how the TV station explains it on its website. According to the broadcaster, this program reaches up to 350,000 viewers in the DACH region every day. It is available free of charge on TV via satellite or cable and is now, of course, also available online or via the app. The content includes feature films, documentaries, series, and devotions.
Bible TV is financed through viewer donations. But viewers should be able to do even more to ensure the continued existence of Bibel TV: pray. As stated on the website, “Please pray that Bibel TV will be fed into as many regional and national cable networks as possible so that even more people can receive Bibel TV.”
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Extreme Sports Channel
There is probably a bit of a personal note here. After all, the Extreme Sports Channel, which belongs to the media company AMC Networks International Zone, is dedicated to trend sports – which, admittedly, is nothing really unusual at first. But when you consider that events or sports stars from a wide range of (extreme) sporting disciplines flicker across the screen all day, from BMX biking to inline skating and skiing, one might wonder if a unifying theme is missing.
Normally, tennis fans wouldn’t follow soccer, gymnastics, and fencing in equal measure, except perhaps at the Olympics. With the Extreme Sports Channel, you can watch sports at no cost – the channel is available on TV via cable and satellite as well as on the Internet – but always sport and always extreme.