RBB Fernsehen
television station
RBB Fernsehen (stylized as rbb fernsehen) is a German free-to-air television channel owned and operated by Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) and serving Berlin and Brandenburg. It is one of the seven regional "third programmes" that are offered within the federal ARD network.
History
On 1 May 2003, ORB-Fernsehen was renamed RBB Brandenburg and SFB1 became RBB Berlin. However, until 28 February 2004, two different programs continued to be broadcast. On 10 November 2003, the joint broadcasts rbb um 6 and zibb – zuhause in Berlin und Brandenburg started. On February 29, 2004, the merger of both stations to rbb Fernsehen took place. In the summer of 2004, the program Im Palais went on the air and from 23 September 2004, Kurt Krömer started his own show. On January 23, 2007, polar bear Knut made his first appearance in a contribution to the Berliner Abendschau, which later triggered a Knut cult. From then on the rbb produced several documentaries about the polar bear for rbb Fernsehen and Das Erste. On 5 September 2009 rbb Fernsehen and Arte broadcast the 24-hour documentary about Berlin in real time 24h Berlin.
The public source identifies “RBB Fernsehen” as television station. This brief keeps that definition visible, then builds a research path around Fernsehen, television and station.
Why this record matters
A short description can identify a subject without explaining its stakes. For “RBB Fernsehen”, the useful work is to connect “television station” to the records capable of establishing context and consequence.
The strongest evidence will usually combine a dated visual record with documents produced by the authority responsible for the place. The source revision retrieved here is dated Mar 13, 2026. The linked authority identifier is Q265432. The first chronological checks are 2003, 2004, 2007 and 2009.
A single description cannot reconcile every naming convention, rebuilding phase or administrative transfer associated with a place. The source lead contains qualifying language; that uncertainty should survive quotation, summary and reuse. Authority statements aid reconciliation but still require their own references, qualifiers and ranks to be checked.
How to read it
Treat names, boundaries and functions as historically changeable. Maps, plans, inventories and administrative records can clarify what the place meant at different dates.
- Historic place names
- Jurisdictional context
- Routes into maps and plans
Contemporary maps, plans, listed-building records, estate papers and the responsible local or national archive.
Three-step research path
- Establish the record: confirm the title “RBB Fernsehen”, its source revision and the description used here.
- Expand the search: follow RBB Fernsehen primary sources, RBB Fernsehen archive and Fernsehen research across catalogues and specialist indexes.
- Test the account: compare the strongest cited source with the responsible institution’s current record and note any disagreement.
Questions for further research
- Which source most directly establishes the central claim about “RBB Fernsehen”?
- What physical evidence or contemporary plan supports the description?
- Which earlier names or jurisdictions may reveal additional records?
Search terms from this dossier
This entry incorporates text from “RBB Fernsehen” on English Wikipedia. Contributors are listed in the page history. Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 License. Selected authority identifiers and statements are retrieved from Wikidata under CC0; their references and qualifiers remain part of the verification path.