Basic Tenets:

As a complement to music reports and features broadcast directly in 39 languages by DW radio and television, music transcription programs in seven languages from DW radio are broadcast by over 700 partner stations worldwide. Some of these, on tape or cassette, are still mailed to stations. For the past 13 years radio stations in the USA have had access to DW music programs on satellite.

DW classical music programs feature complete live recordings of recent concerts at Germany's music festivals (such as the Schleswig-Holstein Music Festival), as well as hour-long programs with studio and concert productions by Germany's ARD regional broadcaster. The moderation fulfills our journalistic responsibility to reflect Germany's internationally oriented music life.

Technical perspective:

Today DW is present on satellite channels with a worldwide reach. Some transmissions are analogue, but the signals covering Europe, Africa and Asia are in digital quality. Pointing the way to the future, Deutsche Welle has joined forces with other European broadcasters to form a "European Bouquet" on Asiasat 2. Five channels are currently occupied by television broadcasters and a dozen by radio programs - including DW - radio's German service and four foreign language services. An additional Data Channel conveys information complementary to the broadcasts.

Deutsche Welle also exists in internee "cyberspace", with information also available on the Data Channel. Transmitting music productions around the world in the form of data banks on the internet is already theoretically possible.

Consequences and perspectives for producers of radio programs:

Global networks enabling an international broadcaster to establish a media presence in every part of the world at relatively low cost present new opportunities and at the same time unaccustomed sources of competition.

The goals should be:

a) using fast and economical transmission technologies

b) tracing market opportunities and requirements in target regions with greater precision

c) cultivating a recognizable quality and thereby maintaining a distinctive product

That entails:

a) making greater use of digital satellite channels as digital receivers become more common

b) communicating directly with partner stations and listeners via the internet and the Data Channel, utilizing the interactive potential of these new media (questionnaires, opinion surveys, etc.)

c) Music programs will have an unmistakable profile if they:

- emphasize the sense of event in a live recording

- present concerts or a repertoire that is strongly identified with a country's unique music life (for example, in Germany, events such as the Richard Wagner Festival in Bayreuth)

- feature recordings not readily available on the international commercial market

- are produced to high journalistic standards, introducing the listener to the works and including interviews and features in the concert pauses

- are presented by an excellent announcer