About TV38

TV38

TV38 is a citizen television broadcaster (Bürgersender) headquartered in Wolfsburg, Lower Saxony, serving the Braunschweig region of southeastern Lower Saxony. Launched on 10 July 1996 as "OKTV", an open channel, it was renamed TV38 on 3 May 2004 after Lower Saxony converted its open channels into citizen-media institutions. The name derives from the first two digits of the postcode area of its service region. Operated by a non-commercial association, the channel is one of 15 licensed citizen broadcasters in Lower Saxony and broadcasts via regional cable, livestream, and online platforms.

Overview

TV38 is a textbook example of German Bürgermedien (citizen media): a non-commercial television station whose programme is produced overwhelmingly by volunteers rather than professional staff. Alongside a small core of full-time employees at its headquarters in Wolfsburg and its studio in Salzgitter, numerous volunteer editors in Wolfsburg, Wolfenbüttel, and Salzgitter make the diverse schedule possible. The channel describes this volunteer character as its defining difference from commercial television.

The station transmits on the regional cable network across the northern Harz (Bad Harzburg, Goslar), the cities of Salzgitter, Wolfenbüttel, Braunschweig, and Wolfsburg, and northward to Gifhorn on the edge of the Lüneburg Heath — a footprint the channel says reaches nearly 500,000 people, corresponding to roughly 210,000 households. Since 2016 the channel has broadcast in 16:9 widescreen.

History

TV38 began on 10 July 1996 as OKTV, an open channel carried by a non-commercial association — making it, in its own words, Lower Saxony's first citizen broadcaster. The open-channel era was defined by pure access television: airtime open to all, without an editorial component.

A structural turning point came with the Lower Saxony media act (Niedersächsisches Mediengesetz). After its adoption in November 2001, all 14 of the state's open channels and non-commercial local radios were transformed into citizen-media institutions (Bürgermedienanstalten) in 2002. The former open channels were required to add an editorial programme component of their own, while the non-commercial local radios had to open airtime slots. In this context OKTV was renamed TV38 on 3 May 2004, with the new name referencing the "38" postcode region it serves.

The channel has marked its milestones publicly: in 2026 it celebrated 30 years of citizen broadcasting (counting from the 1996 OKTV launch) with a festive event in Wolfsburg's Westhagen district attended by more than 100 guests from politics, culture, science, business, and civil society — including Lower Saxony's minister Falko Mohrs, the director of the state's political-education agency Anikó Glogowski-Merten, the director of the Lower Saxony state media authority (NLM) Prof. Christian Krebs, and the chairman of the federal citizen-media association (Bundesverband Bürgermedien) Fred Bärbock. Wolfsburg's mayor Dennis Weilmann honoured the channel's long-serving chairman Jörg Schambach for more than 25 years of volunteer commitment.

Citizen Media in Lower Saxony

TV38 operates within one of Germany's most distinctive citizen-media systems. Citizen broadcasting (Bürgerfunk) was introduced in Lower Saxony in 1995, initially as a multi-year experiment with two models: open channels offering open airtime to all residents of the service area, and non-commercial local radios with purely editorial programmes whose newsrooms were open to participation. After the test phase ended on 31 March 2002, the stations were transferred to regular operation and the distinction was dissolved — the former open channels have since been required to offer an editorial programme, while the non-commercial local radios must provide open slots. The access principle, however, survived: the editorial teams of the former open channels remain open to newcomers.

The system is coordinated by the Landesverband Bürgermedien in Niedersachsen (LBM), the umbrella organisation of the state's now 15 independent citizen broadcasters, and financed exclusively through the Niedersächsische Landesmedienanstalt (NLM) plus municipal grants and donations — advertising of any kind is prohibited by the state media act. This funding model makes stations like TV38 structurally independent of both commercial pressures and direct municipal control, while tying their accountability to the media authority and their member associations. The 2026 anniversary celebration illustrated the sector's political recognition: alongside the NLM director and the state minister, the event brought together the federal citizen-media association's chairman and the head of the state's political-education agency for a panel discussion on the importance of citizen media — with volunteer programme-makers from Lengede and Wolfsburg explaining on stage why they devote their free time to the channel and why citizen broadcasters remain important for the future.

The anniversary also showcased the station's community embeddedness in playful form: guests experienced the TV studio converted into a cinema, the "Bürgerbox" video format, a prize wheel with no losing tickets, a photo booth, and a large wall where visitors collaboratively created a colourful live guestbook — a fitting metaphor for a broadcaster whose programme is literally written by its audience.

Programming

TV38's schedule is built on volunteer-produced local programming: reports, magazines, and documentaries from the Braunschweig region, produced by citizen editors and trainees. Recurring formats include "Wir leben Ehrenamt!" ("We live volunteering!"), a series portraying voluntary engagement in the region — from victim-support volunteers of the Weißer Ring to amateur radio operators and therapy-dog teams — and the "Bürgerbox" video format presented at the anniversary celebration. The channel's YouTube archive documents a steady output of local stories: visits from press clubs, coverage of civic initiatives, and cultural features.

As a citizen broadcaster, TV38 also functions as a training ground: young people in media apprenticeships produce contributions as part of their vocational training, and the station offers instruction in camera, editing, and studio work. The programme is rounded out by live event coverage and repeats of the volunteer-produced core schedule. The channel's social-media channels on Instagram and TikTok extend individual contributions to younger audiences, while the Spotify podcast offers an audio window into the station's output.

Coverage and Audience

TV38 is distributed on the regional cable network (analogue and digital) across southeastern Lower Saxony — from the northern Harz through Salzgitter, Wolfenbüttel, Braunschweig, and Wolfsburg to Gifhorn — as well as via livestream at tv38.de and through its YouTube channel. The channel cites a technical reach of nearly 500,000 people (about 210,000 households). As a non-commercial citizen broadcaster it is not part of commercial audience measurement; its public accountability runs through the Lower Saxony state media authority (NLM), which licenses and supervises the state's citizen broadcasters, and through its member association.

Ownership and Funding

TV38 is operated by a non-commercial registered association (Verein) — the "TV38 (Verein)" carrier listed in broadcasting directories. Like all citizen broadcasters in Lower Saxony, it is financed through funds from the Niedersächsische Landesmedienanstalt (NLM) and grants from cities and districts in its service area, as well as donations; the state media act prohibits these broadcasters from airing any form of advertising. The managing director named in the channel's 2026 anniversary communications is Jürgen Stricker, with Jörg Schambach serving as the association's chairman. The channel is supervised by the NLM, which licenses Lower Saxony's 15 citizen broadcasters.

Digital Presence

TV38 maintains an active digital footprint beyond its linear cable programme. Its website tv38.de carries the livestream and programme information, and the channel operates a YouTube channel ("TV38 – Dein Bürgersender") with an extensive archive of contributions, a Spotify podcast, and presences on Instagram and TikTok. The anniversary reporting noted that the station's online video offerings complement the classic television distribution, which viewers continue to value. Because the official domain has not been independently load-verified, the website field of this profile is left empty pending verification; the channel's own materials and third-party listings identify tv38.de as its web address.