German literature channel folds

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Lettra, the German thematic channel for book lovers, ceased transmissions on April 1.

The Berlin-based television station registered for insolvency in mid-March due to financial support on which the broadcaster had planned not being realised. Two weeks ago a spokeswoman said that Lettra would maintain transmissions while discussions with various new investors took place, but the negotiations were evidently not as positive or swift as expected.

The channel was available on the pay-TV platforms Premiere Star and arenaSAT via Astra (19.2° East) as well as on the cable networks of Unitymedia and Eutelsat’s KabelKiosk. The two managing partners Henne De Dijn, formerly head of the Hamburg Media School, and Carsten Meincke, previously managing director of Hamburg’s citizens and educational channel TIDE, started Lettra on November 24 2007.

In November 2007 De Dijn told German newspaper Süddeutsche Zeitung that the channel’s financing had been secured for three years. Part of the channel’s economic plan included around €2 million in public grants, mostly from Berlin and Brandenburg whose media authority licensed the channel. A turnover of almost a million euros was planned for 2008, with the profit zone expected to be reached in 2009.


Source: Rapid TV News

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