What Plisch does

Plisch GmbH is a privately held German manufacturer of broadcast transmitter systems for television and radio, founded in 1955 by Hans Helmut Plisch and currently led by Managing Director Carmelo Mallia. The company engineers and produces high-power, medium-power, low-power, and FM transmitters (spanning 15W to 100kW) at its Viernheim manufacturing facility, alongside supporting broadcast equipment including the MON 5300 monitoring receiver, ODC outdoor transmitter, containerized broadcast solutions, and the PGC 3000 precision GPS clock. Its products support the major global terrestrial broadcast standards — DVB-T/T2, ATSC 1.0/3.0, ISDB-T/Tb, DAB+, DRM+, FM, and (as of 2023) 5G Broadcast — via a multistandard exciter platform.

Plisch's technical differentiation centers on energy efficiency (up to 51% DAB and 50% TV, certified by ARD for the Series 5300), a liquid-cooling architecture delivering the industry's most compact 1m-depth high-power footprint, and IP-based seamless switching with hot-swappable power supplies for 24/7 broadcast reliability. The company monetizes primarily through direct enterprise hardware sales configured to broadcaster specifications, supplemented by professional services, software updates via a customer portal, and a spare-parts business tied to its installed base. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales with sales engineers providing bespoke configurations, reaching 300+ customers across 60+ countries with anchor accounts including ARD, Swisscom, RaiWay, Nexstar, Ericsson, TVRI, and Korean and US broadcasters.

The business is privately owned following an ownership change in 2000 and a 2009 growth investment by French technology investor Innovacom. The company maintains ISO 9001:2015 and ISO 14001:2015 certifications and operates from registered headquarters in Frankenthal with manufacturing in Viernheim, employing 101-250 people. Recent strategic emphasis has been on geographic expansion (US, South Korea, Indonesia), next-generation standards (5G Broadcast, DRM+, ATSC 3.0), and continued efficiency leadership in liquid-cooled high-power systems.

Name

Plisch

Legal name

Plisch GmbH

Website

https://plisch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Plisch GmbH is a German manufacturer, founded in 1955, of high-efficiency television and radio broadcast transmitter systems (15W to 100kW) supporting DVB-T/T2, ATSC 3.0, ISDB-T, DAB+, FM, and 5G Broadcast standards. The company sells direct to broadcasters in 60+ countries, with anchor customers including ARD, Swisscom, RaiWay, and Nexstar.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Broadcast Transmitter Systems

NAICS

Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing (334220), Radio and Television Broadcasting and Wireless Communications Equipment Manufacturing (33422)

SIC

Radio & Tv Broadcasting & Communications Equipment (3663)

akta.pro primary industry

Broadcast Transmission & Operations Services (Transmitters, Towers, Playout, Engineering) (MPAIAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Digital Radio Broadcasting (DAB/DAB+, HD Radio) (MPAIAEAD)

Keywords

• Broadcast transmitter systems
• TV transmitters
• Radio transmitters
• DVB-T2 transmitters
• DAB+ transmitters

Headquarters

HQ city

Viernheim

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Broadcast Transmitter Hardware Sales: Sale of TV and radio transmitter systems (High Power, Medium Power, Low Power), FM transmitters, monitoring receivers, GPS clocks, container solutions, and outdoor transmitter stations. Products are sold as complete systems configured to customer specifications with various power classes and broadcast standards.
2. Professional Services & After-sales Support: Technical support, spare parts supply, repair services, software updates, and commissioning/warranty services for transmitter systems. Customer portal provides software downloads for registered customers.
3. Spare Parts & Replacement Components: Original PLISCH spare parts packages for transmitter systems, matched to customer system requirements for quick malfunction resolution.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Plisch GmbH designs, manufactures, and sells ultra-high energy efficiency broadcast transmitter systems for television (DVB-T/T2, ATSC 3.0, ISDB-T/Tb) and radio (DAB+, FM, DRM+). The product range covers low, medium, and high power classes with supporting broadcast equipment including monitoring receivers, outdoor transmitter stations, container solutions, and precision GPS clocks, supplied globally to broadcasters and network operators.

Product overview

Plisch GmbH is a German manufacturer of ultra high efficiency broadcast transmitter systems, founded in 1955 and headquartered in Viernheim, Germany. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of television and radio transmitters across multiple power classes, along with broadcast equipment. The product lineup includes High Power Transmitters (5000 Series, 1kW-100kW, liquid-cooled), Medium Power Transmitters (5600/5700 Series, 500W-20kW), and Low Power Transmitters (5200/5500 Series, 15W-400W) for TV broadcasting supporting DVB-T/T2, ATSC 3.0, ISDB-T/T(b), and 5G Broadcast standards. Radio offerings include FM Transmitters (4900 Series, 100W-5kW) and DAB+ transmitters. Supporting broadcast equipment includes the MON 5300 Monitoring Receiver (DAB/DRM/FM demodulator), ODC Outdoor Transmitter for all-in-one outdoor installations, Container Solutions for flexible deployments, and PGC 3000 Precision GPS Clock for time synchronization. All products emphasize energy efficiency (up to 51%), compact design, and modular architecture with hot-swappable components.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Plisch: Manufacturer of ultra high efficiency transmitter systems for television and radio broadcasting. Products include DVB-T/T2, ATSC 3.0, ISDB-T/T(b), DAB+, FM transmitters in low, medium, and high power configurations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Energy savings of up to 51% efficiency in DAB transmitters and 50% in TV transmitters compared to conventional systems
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered major and core.

• Indonesia BroadcastersmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2020First systems delivered to Indonesia starting 2020/2021 for medium power transmitters. Market expansion in Southeast Asia for digital television broadcasting infrastructure.
• RaiWaymajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2019First installation of Low Power Series 5000 for Italian broadcaster RaiWay. RaiWay required strong reliability and wide range of reserve systems (passive reserve, 3+1, gapfillers) with integrated satellite receivers.
• SwisscomcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2016Extended contract with Swisscom for DVB & DAB transmitters. Successful with a major part of the DVB-T2 rollout in Germany. Long-term partnership for broadcast transmitter supply and support.
• EricssoncoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2011Joint implementation of the first DVB-T2 transmitter network. Won IBC Innovation Award 2011 together. Plisch provided transmitter technology integrated with Ericsson's broadcast infrastructure.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GatesAir: US-based leading manufacturer of TV and radio broadcast transmitters (Maxiva series, Flexiva series), formed from the Harris Broadcast division. Primary competitor in the ATSC 3.0 and FM transmitter markets where Plisch has also positioned itself since 2017.
• Continental Electronics: US-based long-standing manufacturer of high-power AM, FM, and digital broadcast transmitters. Competes with Plisch in the US high-power TV transmitter segment entered by Plisch in 2017.
• Transradio SenderSysteme Berlin: Berlin-based German manufacturer of AM, DRM, and DAB+ transmitters with a global installed base. Closest German competitor to Plisch, with overlapping public broadcaster customers in Europe.
• EGATEL: Spanish manufacturer of high-power digital TV and DAB transmitters with strong presence in Latin America and Europe. Competes with Plisch on DVB-T/T2 and DAB RF chains for national broadcasters.
• RVR Elettronica: Italian manufacturer of FM, DAB+ and TV broadcast transmitters. Serves European broadcasters with comparable modular product lines and is a direct regional peer for Plisch's TV/Radio transmitter business.
• BTESA (Broadcast Telecommunications Equipment SA): Spanish turnkey broadcast infrastructure provider covering transmitters, antennas, and towers. Overlaps with Plisch as a competing supplier to public broadcasters across Europe and Latin America.
• NEC Corporation: Japanese electronics major with a long-standing broadcast transmitter business serving TV and radio networks globally, particularly ISDB-T markets in Latin America and Japan. Direct competitor to Plisch in international RFPs.
• Hitachi Kokusai Electric (Comark): Through its Comark brand, supplies high-power DTV transmitters and DAB+ radio transmitters; competes with Plisch in US and Asian markets, especially for ATSC 3.0 deployment.
• Rohde & Schwarz: German-headquartered global leader in broadcast transmitter systems for TV and radio (R&S THU9, TMU9). Historically commercialized Plisch's tube power amplifiers in the 1980s–90s; today competes head-to-head with Plisch for broadcaster RFPs worldwide, especially in Europe.

Broad incumbents

• Ericsson: Swedish telecom infrastructure major historically integrated Plisch's transmitters in DVB-T2 networks (IBC Innovation Award 2011). Functions as both partner and adjacent ecosystem player in broadcast network delivery rather than Plisch's pure transmitter niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Plisch_News
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/plisch-gmbh
• Facebookfacebook.com/plisch.germany

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Plisch