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@icedquinn @Johann150 @lucy The social-liberal coalition under Helmut Schmidt had already decided on plans for a nationwide fiber optic expansion in 1981. One year later, Helmut Kohl came to power, put the plans on ice and instead promoted cable television. 35 years later, there is still no nationwide fiber optic network.

Kohl's team wanted a latently conservative, docile "counterweight" of private broadcasters to the public broadcasters as soon as possible, as Christian Schwarz-Schilling, Federal Minister for Post and Telecommunications for ten years from 1982, put it. However, the Sat-1-Pro-7-RTL broadcast world could only be built up quickly by using the less expensive copper cable networks.

Leo Kirch was instrumental in the development of private television and pay-TV in Germany, including ProSieben and Sat.1. Leo Kirch and Bild editor-in-chief Kai Diekmann were the best men at Helmut Kohl's wedding in 2008.