DR Update
Product brand
UnclaimedA former Danish 24-hour television news channel operated by DR.
Last updated August 24, 2026
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Overview
DR Update was a Danish television news channel operated by the public-service broadcaster DR. It was designed as a continuously refreshed news service, with its principal distribution initially centered on the internet and supplemented by television carriage. The channel provided rolling news coverage and short news loops rather than a conventional schedule built around a small number of long programs. Its content was updated during the daytime and evening, broadly from 07:00 to 23:00, while later distribution arrangements allowed it to function as a round-the-clock service with a temporary evening interruption for sign-language news simulcasts. The channel formed part of DR's effort to extend its news offering across digital and broadcast platforms. Before its terrestrial launch, DR Update was available online and through selected television distribution systems, including Canal Digital satellite carriage and some community antenna networks. In January 2008, the Danish Parliament approved its distribution on the digital terrestrial television network. The terrestrial launch followed on 19 February 2008 and gave DR Update a wider national broadcast presence. At launch, the channel's news loop was adjusted to approximately six minutes, emphasizing rapid repetition and regular updates for viewers joining at different times. DR Update's distribution and format continued to develop. From 1 April 2008, it was also carried on the Viasat platform. In November 2009, it moved to its own channel position, while the sign-language simulcasts that had shared its terrestrial capacity were transferred to DR Synstolkning. The channel also supplied specific scheduled news output for DR's main television service: from 12 March 2008, the midday and 15:00 editions of TV Avisen were replaced by DR Update. From 1 February 2011, the service additionally produced the 17:50 news bulletin on DR1. That same date brought a new studio, new graphics and a longer ten-minute news loop, reflecting an effort to refresh the service's visual identity and presentation. DR Update was ultimately closed on 4 March 2013 and replaced by DR Ultra. The replacement did not represent a continuation of DR Update as a dedicated rolling-news channel; rather, it reflected a change in DR's channel structure and programming priorities. DR later returned to a dedicated digital news-channel concept with TVA Live, launched online through DR TV in 2023, but that service is distinct from the former DR Update brand. DR Update is therefore best understood as a discontinued DR news-channel brand whose significance lay in combining web distribution, digital terrestrial broadcasting, platform carriage and integration with DR's wider television news operation.
History
DR Update was established as a DR news brand for frequent, short-form updates delivered primarily through the web and supported by television distribution. Rather than operating as a conventional scheduled news program, it used a repeating news-loop model so viewers could join the service at many points during the day. Its content was refreshed between approximately 07:00 and 23:00, and the service was described as a 24-hour channel in its later broadcast configuration, subject to an evening period used for sign-language news simulcasts. The channel initially reached viewers through internet distribution, Canal Digital satellite carriage and selected community antenna systems. A major expansion occurred after the Danish Parliament approved its distribution on the digital terrestrial network in January 2008. DR Update went terrestrial on 19 February 2008, using capacity that had also been associated with early-evening sign-language news. The terrestrial version used a short six-minute loop, reinforcing its role as an easily accessible rolling-news service. On 1 April 2008, the channel was added to the Viasat platform, extending its availability through another major television distribution system. DR also integrated the brand into its broader news operation. Beginning 12 March 2008, DR Update replaced the 12:00 and 15:00 editions of TV Avisen. In November 2009, it received its own channel position, while the sign-language simulcasts were moved to DR Synstolkning, which subsequently operated continuously. On 1 February 2011, DR Update took responsibility for producing DR1's 17:50 news bulletin. The same relaunch introduced a new studio and graphics and lengthened the recurring news loop from six to ten minutes. The channel remained a distinct part of DR's television offering until 4 March 2013, when it was closed and replaced by DR Ultra. The closure ended DR Update's run as a dedicated rolling-news channel. A later DR digital news service, TVA Live, launched online through DR TV in 2023, but it is a separate initiative and should not be treated as a continuation of the DR Update brand.
- 2013
Channel discontinued
[1]DR Update closed on 4 March and was replaced by DR Ultra.
- 2011
Studio and format refresh
[1]A new studio and graphics were introduced, the loop was extended to ten minutes, and the service began producing DR1's 17:50 bulletin.
- 2009
Dedicated channel position
[1]From November, DR Update was broadcast on its own channel position.
- 2008
Parliament approves terrestrial distribution
[1]The Danish Parliament approved DR Update for distribution on the digital terrestrial network.
- 2008
Terrestrial launch
[1]DR Update began digital terrestrial broadcasting on 19 February, using a six-minute news loop.
- 2008
Viasat carriage begins
[1]The channel became available on the Viasat platform on 1 April.
Products and positioning
A continuously updated, cross-platform Danish news service combining web distribution with digital terrestrial and pay-TV carriage.
Television news channel
DR Update
A Danish rolling-news channel combining web distribution with digital terrestrial, satellite and pay-TV carriage. Its programming consisted of frequently refreshed short news loops and selected scheduled news output. The service also supplied news editions for DR's wider television schedule before it was discontinued in 2013.
Brand decisions
2013
Closure and replacement by DR UltraStrategyBackground
DR revised its channel structure and ended the dedicated DR Update service.
Action taken
DR closed DR Update on 4 March 2013 and replaced it with DR Ultra.
Aftermath
The DR Update brand ceased operating as a television news channel.
2011
Format and presentation relaunchGeneration changeBackground
DR Update was being used more closely within DR's main television news operation.
Action taken
DR introduced a new studio and graphics package, lengthened the news loop to ten minutes and assigned the channel production of DR1's 17:50 bulletin.
Aftermath
The service assumed a more visible role in DR's daily news schedule until its eventual closure.
2008
Expansion to digital terrestrial broadcastingStrategyBackground
DR sought to make its rolling-news service available beyond the web and limited platform distribution.
Action taken
Following parliamentary approval, DR launched DR Update on the digital terrestrial network on 19 February 2008.
Aftermath
The launch broadened the channel's national television availability and was followed by Viasat carriage in April 2008.
Sources1 sources
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