BW Future TV

BW Future TV (formerly BW Family TV) is a private regional television broadcaster for the German state of Baden-Württemberg. It has been on air since 15 February 2006 and is operated by bw family.tv GmbH & Co. KG, whose company seat is in Karlsruhe while broadcast operations and management are based in Heilbronn. The channel is distributed in the digital cable network of Vodafone Baden-Württemberg and is available without an additional fee, reaching a technical audience of roughly 4.8 million viewers in the state. A satellite distribution decision has not yet been made, and the channel is not carried via DVB-T2. The broadcaster originally launched as BW Family TV, a values-oriented full-service family channel with a focus on family-relevant topics such as health, life guidance, advice and service programming, current information from Baden-Württemberg and Christian formats. Over time the editorial profile shifted toward future-oriented themes. Under the BW Future TV brand, the channel presents itself as a media platform that makes scientific, technological and socially relevant topics understandable, bridging present, progress and future. Its stated mission is to help people understand the future, share knowledge and shape digital, technological and social change together, economically and socially. Programming includes reports, background formats, expert contributions, educational and science formats, news, interviews, portraits, discussions, commentary and satire. Flagship formats include DeepTalk, an academically framed digital discourse on artificial intelligence and digital transformation; InnovateTheFuture, which examines entrepreneurship and AI from the perspective of founders, startups and thought leaders; CampusNews, which uses AI avatars to present top news from the Heilbronn education campus and surrounding educational institutions in Baden-Württemberg; and GlobalTalk, which looks at innovators and thought leaders from leading technology locations worldwide. The channel also cooperates with the Digital Business Club e.V. to build a transformation network focused on people, innovation and access to digital skills, knowledge and new technologies. Ownership is held by a group of shareholders: ERB Medien GmbH (46%), DFA Regional TV Baden-Württemberg GmbH (38%), MAKU Kommunikationstechnik GmbH (11%) and b.i.g. Gruppe (3.5%). Helmut Keiser serves as managing director and program director. The channel describes its task as broadcasting serious, service- and values-oriented programming for Baden-Württemberg that covers the full spectrum of family life, and it states that it does not air erotic advertising or programs with astrology or fortune-telling content.

BW Future TV traces its origins to BW Family TV. On 27 January 2005, an application for a broadcasting licence for BW Family TV was submitted to the responsible Baden-Württemberg media authority, the Landesanstalt für Kommunikation Baden-Württemberg (LfK). The founding shareholders of the broadcaster bw family.tv GmbH were Salo Holding AG, Weber Management GmbH, L-TV GmbH, ERB Medien GmbH, Evangelischer Rundfunkdienst Baden ERB gGmbH, Bibel-TV managing director Henning Röhl, b.i.g. Gruppe-Management GmbH, Com!media GmbH and EKD Media GmbH. The licence was granted on 27 June 2005 for the period from 1 July 2005 to 30 June 2013, and BW Family TV received the status of a private nationwide television broadcaster. The channel went on air on 15 February 2006 in the analogue and digital cable network of the operator Kabel BW. In January 2008, the shareholders Salo Holding AG, Weber Management GmbH and Henning Röhl exited and sold their shares to the remaining shareholders. As of 1 January 2008, the shares of Evangelischer Rundfunkdienst Baden ERB gemeinnützige GmbH were transferred to its wholly owned subsidiary ERB Medien GmbH. On 23 June 2008, bw family.tv GmbH was converted into a GmbH & Co. KG. The role of the general partner was assumed by the newly founded bw family.tv Holding GmbH, based in Karlsruhe, in which shareholder identity with the KG prevails. As of 31 December 2008, the shareholders ekd media GmbH and com!media GmbH left the company, and their shares were taken over pro rata by the remaining shareholders. In its earlier years the channel's weekday programming was heavily commercial: a typical weekday structure in June 2011 consisted of 53.13% teleshopping, infomercials and Apps-Night (editorial advertising for iPhone/iPad apps), 13.53% news, breakfast television and commercial event tips, 11.48% boulevard and magazines, 10.42% church broadcasts, 4.16% Russia Today, 3.12% talk, 2.08% call-in life advice and 2.08% children's programming. Over time the editorial focus shifted from a family and values-oriented full-service channel toward future topics. Under the BW Future TV name, the broadcaster positions itself as a media platform for scientific, technological and socially relevant themes, with a mission to make the future understandable, share knowledge and promote media literacy, democracy and talent. Its programming now includes reports, background formats, expert contributions, educational and science formats, news, interviews, portraits, discussions, commentary and satire. New editorial priorities include news, research and science (including the AI-supported CampusNews) and education, innovation and access to digital transformation, notably through cooperation with the Digital Business Club e.V. As of 10 July 2026, the shareholder structure of bw family.tv GmbH & Co. KG was: ERB Medien GmbH (46%), fully owned by Evangelischer Rundfunkdienst Baden and thus the Evangelical Church in Baden, with managing director Seyhan Yigit; DFA Regional TV Baden-Württemberg GmbH (38%), whose minority shareholder with 49% is Frank Felte and whose majority shareholder with 51% is DFA Regional TV Beteiligungs GmbH, Bonn, itself wholly owned by DFA Verwaltungs GmbH, Düsseldorf, all shares of which are held by Infobonn Holding GmbH, Bonn, solely owned by Helmut Keiser; MAKU Kommunikationstechnik GmbH (11%); and b.i.g. Gruppe (3.5%), a Karlsruhe corporate group for engineering services, facility management, building services, security, network management and training. Helmut Keiser is managing director and program director. For production, financing and marketing of program components, production companies belonging to bw family.tv GmbH operate as independent profit centers, delivering content to the broadcast center in Karlsruhe. The channel is distributed in the digital cable television of the network operator Vodafone Baden-Württemberg and is receivable without an additional fee. Its technical reach is around 4.8 million viewers in Baden-Württemberg. A decision on satellite distribution has not yet been made, and BW Future TV is not currently transmitted via DVB-T2. All programs were available on the BW Family TV homepage. According to the Kommission zur Ermittlung der Konzentration im Medienbereich (KEK), BW Future TV is "a values-oriented full-service television program from Baden-Württemberg for the whole family." The channel sees its task as broadcasting serious, service- and values-oriented programming for Baden-Württemberg covering the full spectrum of family life, and it does not air erotic advertising or programs with astrology or fortune-telling content.

• 2026

  Shareholder structure recorded as ERB Medien GmbH (46%), DFA Regional TV Baden-Württemberg GmbH (38%), MAKU Kommunikationstechnik GmbH (11%) and b.i.g. Gruppe (3.5%); Helmut Keiser is managing director and program director.

• 2011

  Typical weekday programming structure includes 53.13% teleshopping and infomercials, 13.53% news and breakfast television, and 10.42% church broadcasts.

• 2008

  Shareholders Salo Holding AG, Weber Management GmbH and Henning Röhl exit and sell their shares to the remaining shareholders.

• 2008

  Shares of Evangelischer Rundfunkdienst Baden ERB gemeinnützige GmbH transferred to its wholly owned subsidiary ERB Medien GmbH.

• 2008

  bw family.tv GmbH converted into a GmbH & Co. KG; bw family.tv Holding GmbH becomes general partner.

• 2008

  Shareholders ekd media GmbH and com!media GmbH leave the company; their shares are taken over pro rata by remaining shareholders.

• 2006

  BW Family TV goes on air in the analogue and digital cable network of Kabel BW.

• 2005

  Application for a broadcasting licence for BW Family TV submitted to the Landesanstalt für Kommunikation Baden-Württemberg (LfK).

• 2005

  Licence granted for the period 1 July 2005 to 30 June 2013; BW Family TV receives the status of a private nationwide television broadcaster.

A values-oriented, future-focused regional full-service television channel for Baden-Württemberg that makes science, technology and social change understandable for all generations.

• DeepTalk

  Academically framed digital discourse in which experts explore economic, social and societal aspects of the digital future clearly and compactly.

• InnovateTheFuture

  Entrepreneurship-focused format examining opportunities, risks, challenges and successes of digital transformation and AI from the perspective of founders, startups and thought leaders.

• CampusNews

  AI avatars present top news from the Heilbronn education campus and surrounding educational institutions across Baden-Württemberg.

• GlobalTalk

  Format highlighting innovators and thought leaders from leading technology locations worldwide, offering insight into new technologies and global trends.

1. 1BW Future TV – Die Zukunft gestalten mit Innovation, Technologie & Gesellschaftbw-future.tv
2. 2Über uns | BW Future TV – Innovation, KI & regionale Berichterstattung aus Heilbronnbw-future.tv
3. 3BW Future TVde.wikipedia.org
4. 4wikidatawikidata.org