DR2


DR2 is the second television channel operated by the Danish Broadcasting Corporation in Denmark. It covers a wide range of subject matter, but tending towards more "highbrow" programmes than the more mainstream and popular DR1. Like DR's other TV and radio channels, it is funded by a media licence, and is therefore commercial-free.
It was launched in 1996 as a satellite-/cable-only channel. This was highly controversial at the time, as it was considered close to a breach of public service principles that the new station did not reach all viewers. Adding to the critics' cause was the fact that DR did in fact have broadband spectrum available for terrestrial broadcasts. However, this was being reserved for digital broadcasting tests. The less-than-100%-coverage coupled with a "highbrow" reputation resulted in low ratings which in turn earned it the nickname "the secret channel" to the regret of the director general who had been pushing the line "my channel". This was finally remedied on 31 March 2006, when terrestrial digital broadcasts started.
It most resembles the British BBC Four in that its main output is experimental comedy, documentaries and in-depth news programmes. It has earned much praise for high quality shows, especially in the first category, with series like Casper & Mandrilaftalen and Drengene fra Angora. Den 11. time was a talk show on the channel.
It also broadcasts many British productions, e.g. crime dramas such as Prime Suspect.
Every Saturday DR2 broadcasts the Greenlandic language News bulletin Nyheder fra Grønland produced by KNR
Between 8 and 10:30 pm Wednesdays, various European thriller series are aired. And every Friday at 8.pm, a rather recently produced film is aired. At late Sunday afternoons, a classic film is broadcast. Typically from the late 1960s until the mid 1990s. The news, called "Deadline" is on at 10:30 pm, and differs from DR 1's "TV-Avisen" in just giving a brief overview of today's events, the followed by two news that is treated more deep. DR2 is sometimes used as "Breaking News", but only when really called for. The channel also covers society issues and various types of society-related debates.
Following the introduction of digital television in Denmark, on 1 November 2009, the channel is broadcast free-to-air via a public DVB-T and MPEG-4 system. It now reaches the whole country and also the nearby east side of Øresund sea to southernmost Sweden.
In 2013 the channel was rebranded and converted to a 24-hour channel with the inclusion of hourly news and current affairs programming. DR Update previously aired some of the programming before the channel was closed to make room for DR Ultra. DR2, unlike DR Update will however not interrupt any programmes for breaking news.
The channel switched from SD to 720p HD broadcasting on 28 February 2017.

Logos and identities

1996-2002

2002-2005

2005-2009

2009-2013

2013-present

Examples of programmes on DR2

Original programming

As is the practice with most other TV channels in Denmark, foreign programmes are shown in their original language but with Danish subtitles.