1998 in German television
| List of years in German television | 
|---|
This is a list of German television related events from 1998.
Events
- 5 January - British children's television series Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends begins airing on German television for the first time ever after only being released on home video since 1995. The series will begin airing on RTL II.
- 27 February - Guildo Horn is selected to represent Germany at the 1998 Eurovision Song Contest with his song "Guildo hat euch lieb!". He is selected to be the forty-third German Eurovision entry during Countdown Grand Prix held at the Stadthalle in Bremen.
Debuts
Free for air
Domestic
- 13 January - The King of St. Pauli (1998) (Sat.1)
- 21 April - Der Clown (1998–2001) (RTL)
- 4 September - Schloss Einstein (1998–present) (KiKA)
- 26 October - In aller Freundschaft (1998–present) (Das Erste)
- 20 November - Der Laden (1998) (Arte)
International
- 5 January -  Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends (1984–present) (RTL II) Thomas the Tank Engine & Friends (1984–present) (RTL II)
- 28 March -  / /.svg.png) Beast Wars: Transformers (1996–1999) (RTL II) Beast Wars: Transformers (1996–1999) (RTL II)
- 14 April -  Extreme Dinosaurs (1997) (Super RTL) Extreme Dinosaurs (1997) (Super RTL)
- 23 June -  PB Bear and Friends (1998) (KiKA) PB Bear and Friends (1998) (KiKA)
- 9 October -  Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003) (ProSieben) Buffy the Vampire Slayer (1997–2003) (ProSieben)
- 28 November -  Moesha (1996–2001) (RTL) Moesha (1996–2001) (RTL)
- 10 December -  The Adventures of Spot (1987–1993) (KiKA) The Adventures of Spot (1987–1993) (KiKA)
- 21 December - .svg.png) / / Animal Crackers (1997–1999) (KiKA) Animal Crackers (1997–1999) (KiKA)
- 24 December -  Percy the Park Keeper (1996–1999) (Das Erste) Percy the Park Keeper (1996–1999) (Das Erste)
Cable
International
- 2 May -  The Angry Beavers (1997-2001) (Nickelodeon) The Angry Beavers (1997-2001) (Nickelodeon)
American Forces Network
.svg.png) Bananas in Pajamas (1992-2001) Bananas in Pajamas (1992-2001)
 The Journey of Allen Strange (1997-2000) The Journey of Allen Strange (1997-2000)
BFBS
- 31 March -  The Wombles (1998-2001) The Wombles (1998-2001)
- 12 August -  Whizziwig (1998-2000) Whizziwig (1998-2000)
- 29 November -  Dinnerladies (1998-2000) Dinnerladies (1998-2000)
 / / Archibald the Koala (1998-2000) Archibald the Koala (1998-2000)
 Animal Stories (1998-2002) Animal Stories (1998-2002)
Television shows
1950s
- Tagesschau (1952-present)
1960s
- heute (1963-present)
1970s
- heute-journal (1978-present)
- Tagesthemen (1978-present)
1980s
- Wetten, dass..? (1981-2014)
- Lindenstraße (1985-present)
1990s
- Gute Zeiten, schlechte Zeiten (1992-present)
- Marienhof (1992-2011)
- Unter uns (1994-present)
- Verbotene Liebe (1995-2015)
Ending this year
Networks and services
Launches
| Network | Type | Launch date | Notes | Source | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| EarthTV | Cable television | Unknown | ||
| BR-alpha | Cable television | 7 January | ||
| 13th Street | Cable television | 1 May | ||
| NBC Europe | Cable television | 30 June | ||
| SR Fernsehen | Cable television | 1 September | ||
| Minimax | Cable television | 1 October | 
Conversions and rebrandings
| Old network name | New network name | Type | Conversion Date | Notes | Source | 
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sudwest 3 | Sudwest Fernsehen | Cable television | Unknown | 
Closures
| Network | Type | End date | Notes | Sources | 
|---|---|---|---|---|
| [[]] | Cable and satellite | 
Births
Deaths
| Date | Name | Age | Cinematic Credibility | 
|---|---|---|---|
| 19 March | Klaus Havenstein | 75 | German actor, cabaret artist & TV host | 
| 14 August | Hans-Joachim Kulenkampff | 77 | German actor & TV host | 
See also