Overview
- All 16 state governments have approved the Reformstaatsvertrag, with Brandenburg giving final consent on November 19 and the pact entering into force on December 1.
- The reform mandates that KiKA’s programming move off linear television to online mediatheques, streaming services or apps, as part of a broader digital bundling of youth offerings.
- Coverage cites conflicting cutoff dates for the linear shutdown, with some reports pointing to January 1, 2029 and others to 2033.
- The agreement integrates KiKA, funk, ZDFneo and ARD One into a coordinated portfolio aimed at younger audiences rather than maintaining separate linear channels.
- Experts, including Maya Götz, warn of increased binge-watching, the loss of shared viewing rituals and greater curation burdens on parents, while an online petition to keep TV access has drawn more than 50,000 signatures.