HR

hr-fernsehen is the regional public service television channel of Hessischer Rundfunk for the state of Hesse, Germany . The primary language of broadcasting is German . The channel is headquartered in Frankfurt-Dornbusch and is a member of the ARD network, Germany\'s consortium of public broadcasters . hr-fernsehen was launched on October 5, 1964, under the original name Hessisches Fernsehprogramm . Over the decades, the channel underwent several rebrandings, becoming Hessen Drei in 1983, then hessen fernsehen in 1997, before finally adopting its current name on October 3, 2004 . The channel is distributed nationwide in Germany and also reaches audiences in Austria, Switzerland, Liechtenstein, Luxembourg, the Netherlands, and Belgium .

The channel\'s programming focuses primarily on regional reporting for the state of Hesse . The flagship program is hessenschau, a daily regional news broadcast that airs at 7:30 pm and is consistently the highest-rated program on the channel . Additional news and current affairs offerings include the afternoon program hallo hessen, the weeknightly tabloid magazine maintower, and a compact late edition of the news called hessenschau kompakt . The channel also produces the regional political magazine defacto, the business and consumer program mex, and the cultural magazine hauptsache kultur . One of the most popular entertainment formats is the Sunday quiz show hessenQuiz, hosted by Jörg Bombach . The channel frequently broadcasts ranking shows that highlight the most popular or beautiful castles, rivers, mountains, or celebrities from Hesse .

hr-fernsehen is available through multiple distribution platforms across Germany and Europe . The channel can be received via digital terrestrial television, cable networks, and satellite on the Astra system at 19.2 degrees east . The channel broadcasts in high definition, having launched its HD feed on December 5, 2013 . Viewers can watch online the live broadcast of hr-fernsehen through the official hr-online website and the ARD Mediathek platform . Online television of hr-fernsehen is also accessible on streaming services such as Joyn, which offers the channel\'s live stream in HD quality . Many programs are also available on-demand for up to seven days after broadcast through the ARD Mediathek .

hr-fernsehen strives to be the primary source of regional information for the people of Hesse, complementing national news with local stories, events, and cultural programming. The mission of the channel is to inform citizens about issues affecting their daily lives, to preserve and promote Hessian culture and identity, and to provide high-quality public service broadcasting free from commercial interests. The channel is funded through the German broadcast license fee, which ensures its editorial independence. According to audience data, the channel reaches approximately 4.8 million viewers nationwide daily, with about 1.3 million viewers in Hesse alone . Despite increasing competition from streaming platforms, hr-fernsehen continues to serve as a trusted source of local news and entertainment for the Hessian community. Thanks to modern digital platforms, hr-fernsehen provides the opportunity to watch online the live broadcast on any device - from smartphones to Smart TVs - ensuring that residents of Hesse and former Hessians living elsewhere in Germany or abroad can stay connected to their home region wherever they are.