Arte

Arte (; French: [aʁte]; German: [ˈa⁠ʁ⁠tə]; Association relative à la télévision européenne, "Association relating to European television") is a European public service channel dedicated to culture. It is made up of three separate companies: the Strasbourg-based European Economic Interest Grouping (EEIG) ARTE, plus two member companies acting as editorial and programme production centres, ARTE France in Paris (formerly known as La Sept) and ARTE Deutschland in Baden-Baden (a subsidiary of the two main public German TV networks ARD and ZDF).

As an international joint venture (an EEIG), its programmes focus on audiences in both countries. Because of this, the channel has two audio tracks and two subtitle tracks, one each in French and German.

80% of Arte's programming is provided by its French and German subsidiaries, each making half of the programmes. The remainder is provided by the European subsidiary and the channel's European partners. Selected programmes are available with English, Spanish, Polish and Italian subtitles online.

ARTE is governed by its Management Board, chaired by President Heike Hempel and Vice President Bruno Patino. The Management Board reports to the General Assembly, chaired by Jean-Dominique Giuliani (seconded from ARTE France) and Katrin Vernau (seconded from ARTE Deutschland).

History

Arte was initiated as a symbol of Franco-German friendship and had been championed since 1988 by French President François Mitterrand and German Chancellor Helmut Kohl. It came to fruition on 2 October 1990, when an Interstate Treaty was signed between France and the German Länder.