Heimatkanal marks 30 years in German television
June 19, 2026 11.22 Europe/London By Jörn Krieger


From left: Tim Werner, Susann Müller, Ralph Fürther

German pay-TV channel Heimatkanal celebrated its 30th anniversary on 17 June 2026 with an event in Munich attended by around 60 guests from the media, entertainment and business areas.
The celebrations reflected on the channel’s development since its launch in 1996. During a discussion, media executives Dr Georg Kofler and Gottfried Zmeck, who were involved with Heimatkanal from its early years, discussed the channel’s evolution and its position within the German television market.

The programme also included a retrospective of Heimatkanal’s history and featured contributions from actors associated with the channel’s content. Ronja Forcher spoke about her connection to the long-running drama series Der Wilde Kaiser, while Rebecca Immanuel and Gerda Steiner discussed their personal perspectives on the concept of Heimat (“home”) and the enduring popularity of theatre series Peter Steiners Theaterstadl.

Comedian Simon Pearce contributed a personal segment recalling his mother, actress Christiane Blumhoff, who appeared in numerous Heimatkanal productions. The evening was hosted by Susann Müller and Ralph Fürther.

Former channel chief Reinhard Ehret and current Managing Director Caterina Herold also addressed guests during the event. Herold said: “Heimatkanal stands for security, family time and slowing down. We want to offer people a place where memories can remain alive and new ones can be created.”

Tim Werner, CEO of parent company Mainstream Media, outlined the channel’s future ambitions in an increasingly digital media environment: “Home is not only a place. Home is created through people, stories and shared experiences. That is exactly the feeling we want to preserve and develop further for our audience in the future.”