ALEX Open Channel

What ALEX Open Channel does

ALEX Open Channel (legal name: ALEX Offener Kanal Berlin) is a non-commercial community broadcaster serving the Berlin-Brandenburg region of Germany. It operates as a statutory facility of the Medienanstalt Berlin-Brandenburg (mabb), a public-law institution (Anstalt des öffentlichen Rechts), and is funded entirely through broadcasting fees (Rundfunkgebühren). ALEX enables Berlin residents to produce and publish content for free across television, radio, and online channels, targeting media enthusiasts, students, community organizations, and aspiring journalists who lack access to professional production infrastructure. Its reach includes approximately 1.64 million TV households via cable networks (Vodafone, PYUR), Magenta TV, DVB-T2 HD, and the Lokal-TV-Portal, plus 5.2–5.3 million DAB+ digital radio listeners on Kanal 12D across the region; daily impressions across social media and the ALEX Kosmos mediathek are reported at approximately 34,000.

The core product is ALEX Kosmos, a unified cross-media platform launched in 2023 that delivers ALEX's television, radio, and podcast content as linear streams and on-demand via the web and native iOS/Android applications. The platform is built on the 3Q nexx video infrastructure, with Rosebud Media providing streaming hosting and Matomo (on-premise) handling website analytics. Supporting program offerings include ALEX Talkbox (mobile media competency workshops), uni.corn (university media cooperation), couchFM (student radio), Ausbildungsrundfunk (vocational broadcasting training), and Medienkompetenz (media literacy training). Secondary offices are located in Berlin-Friedrichshain (headquarters, Rudolfstraße 1-8) and near MIZ Babelsberg in Potsdam-Babelsberg. Volker Bach leads the organization as Leiter ALEX.

ALEX has no commercial revenue streams, no external investors, and no subsidiaries. The organization is government-owned and operates strictly as a public service: content production and broadcast slots are free for eligible community producers. The UKW (FM) transmission on 91.0 MHz was discontinued at the end of 2025 as part of a digital migration to DAB+ and online streaming. Technology vendors include 3Q nexx GmbH (core video platform), Rosebud Media (streaming hosting), Table of Visions GmbH (website development), and laf.li digital (digital platform support). No AI/ML capabilities, patents, certifications, M&A activity, or funding rounds are documented in the available data.

Name

ALEX Open Channel

Legal name

ALEX Offener Kanal Berlin

Website

https://alex-berlin.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ALEX Open Channel is a non-commercial community broadcaster operated under the Medienanstalt Berlin-Brandenburg, providing Berlin residents with free TV, radio, and podcast production facilities across cable, DAB+, and the ALEX Kosmos digital platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio and Television Broadcasting Stations (5161), Television Broadcasting Stations (516120), Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)

SIC

Television Broadcasting Stations (4833), Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro primary industry

Public/Community Local Stations (PBS Member Stations, Community Radio, LPFM) (MPABACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Digital Radio Broadcasting (DAB/DAB+, HD Radio) (MPAIAEAD), Public Broadcasting Content Distribution & Interconnection (Sat/IP feeds) (MPABADAI)

Keywords

• Community broadcasting
• Public media services
• Cross-media platform
• Digital audio broadcasting
• Media literacy training

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin-friedrichshain

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Public Broadcasting Funding: ALEX is funded through broadcasting fees (Rundfunkgebühren) as a facility of the Medienanstalt Berlin-Brandenburg (mabb), a public-law institution. No commercial revenue streams.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ALEX Berlin is a non-commercial community broadcaster that enables Berliners to produce and publish free TV, radio, and online content via its cross-media platform ALEX Kosmos. The station distributes programming through cable TV networks, DAB+ digital radio, and mobile apps, reaching approximately 1.64 million TV households and 5.2 million DAB+ listeners across the Berlin-Brandenburg region. Activities include media literacy training programs, university partnerships, and community-focused content production.

Product overview

ALEX Berlin operates as a non-commercial community TV and radio station serving the Berlin-Brandenburg region. The core offering consists of ALEX Kosmos, a unified cross-media platform that provides linear and on-demand access to television programming, radio broadcasts, and podcasts. The platform is accessible via the ALEX Kosmos web portal and dedicated mobile applications for iOS and Android. Supporting program offerings include the ALEX Talkbox (media competency workshops), uni.corn (university partnerships), couchFM (student radio), Ausbildungsrundfunk (training broadcasts), and Medienkompetenz (media literacy training). TV content reaches approximately 1.64 million households through cable and satellite, while radio reaches around 5.2 million DAB+ listeners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ALEX Kosmos: The media library and streaming platform of ALEX Berlin offering on-demand video and audio content.

Products and services

• ALEX Kosmos ALEX Kosmos is a cross-media participation and creativity platform that provides on-demand access to ALEX TV, radio, and podcast content. Available as a web platform and mobile app for iOS and Android.
• ALEX TV Livestream Live streaming service for ALEX television programming, accessible online through the ALEX website.
• ALEX Radio Livestream Live streaming service for ALEX radio programming, accessible online through the ALEX website.
• ALEX Talkbox Media skills program offered by ALEX providing mobile media competency training workshops for participants in Berlin and Brandenburg.
• uni.corn University media cooperation program connecting ALEX with higher education institutions.
• couchFM Student radio program featuring news, music, and stories from Berlin universities.
• Ausbildungsrundfunk Training radio program providing media education and practical experience for students in radio production.
• Medienkompetenz Media literacy and competency training programs offered by ALEX for youth and community groups.
• ALEX Kosmos App Mobile application for iOS and Android providing access to ALEX content including TV, radio, and podcasts on demand.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free production and broadcast access for all Berliners

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Medienanstalt Berlin-Brandenburg (mabb)coreOthersALEX Berlin is a facility/institution of mabb (Medienanstalt Berlin-Brandenburg), a public-law institution responsible for broadcasting regulation in Berlin and Brandenburg. Mabb provides funding through broadcasting fees and oversight.
• MIZ Babelsberg (Medieninnovationszentrum Babelsberg)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerClose operational partnership with the Media Innovation Center Babelsberg. ALEX maintains offices near MIZ Babelsberg and collaborates on training and production programs.
• 3Q nexx GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationMunich-based technology provider delivering the ALEX Kosmos video platform software that enables video content embedding and usage analytics for ALEX Berlin. Data processed includes timestamps, IP addresses, user agents, language, visited websites, and timezone.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• RegioTV Stuttgart: Baden-Württemberg's regional TV broadcaster distributed via cable and digital channels. Comparable geographic-functionally — regional German local TV with mixed editorial/community content — though ALEX's public-mission focus and community-producer model are distinctive.
• Franken Fernsehen: Regional TV broadcaster for Franconia/Northern Bavaria distributed via cable. Comparable as a German regional TV broadcaster with locally produced content but operates on a commercial footing, in contrast to ALEX's public-fee model.
• Hamburg 1: Regional TV station for Hamburg via cable and digital. Comparable in form (regional local TV in a major German metro) but operates on a commercial rather than community-fee mandate.
• München TV: Regional local TV station serving the Munich metropolitan area via cable, with locally produced news and lifestyle programming. Comparable in scale and German regional TV distribution mechanics but commercially funded rather than publicly subsidized.

Direct peers

• NRWision: State-wide open channel and citizen media platform for North Rhine-Westphalia, operated under a similar public-law framework (Landesanstalt für Medien NRW). Same community-driven TV and digital model as ALEX with audience-produced programming distributed via web and cable — the closest German analogue.
• OK Magdeburg (Offener Kanal Magdeburg): Community open channel in Saxony-Anhalt operated under the regional media authority (MSA). Operates TV, radio, and digital distribution with a near-identical public-fee-funded, non-commercial participation model serving aspiring local producers.
• Tide Radio / Tide TV Hamburg: Hamburg's community-oriented radio and TV broadcaster operating under a similar mixed public/commercial mandate with non-mainstream and participatory programming. Comparable as a cross-media regional public broadcaster with educational and community involvement.
• OK München (Offener Kanal München): Munich's community open channel operated under BLM (Bayerische Landeszentrale für neue Medien). Same public-law framework, same citizen-producer / cross-media distribution model — a direct regional counterpoint to ALEX in Bavaria.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Supererbin
• Facebookfacebook.com/ALEX.berlin.de
• Instagraminstagram.com/alex_berlin_de
• Xx.com/alex_berlin_de
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alex---offener-kanal-berlin

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ALEX Open Channel