Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg

Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (rbb) (Berlin-Brandenburg Broadcasting) is an institution under public law (national broadcaster) for the German states of Berlin and Brandenburg, situated in Berlin and Potsdam. rbb was established on 1 May 2003 through the merger of Sender Freies Berlin (SFB) and Ostdeutscher Rundfunk Brandenburg (ORB), based in Potsdam, and is a member of the Association of PSBs in the Federal Republic of Germany (ARD).

rbb has not only the two main studios in Berlin and Potsdam, but also regional studios in Cottbus and Frankfurt (Oder) and regional offices in Perleberg and Prenzlau. In addition, rbb operates the ARD International Studio in Warsaw, whose responsibility interchanges every five years between rbb and WDR (WDR was last in charge from May 2009 to September 2014). The institution also operates the ARD Play-Out Center in Potsdam, a broadcast center for the programs within the ARD digital bouquet. rbb, together with WDR, is responsible for the ARD television studio in Berlin.

rbb was built on 25 June 2002 on the basis of the treaty about the establishment of a joint broadcasting company by the states of Berlin and Brandenburg. Therefore, rbb hosts radio and television and has to make sure that both treaty states will be equally provided "with respect to the regional program needs".

Every household in Germany is lawfully bound to pay 17,50 Euro per month as so called "Rundfunkbeitrag" (broadcast contribution) to finance the public broadcast system.

See also: German television

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