Death TV to air in Germany

The Germans strike again - innovating and filling a distinct market
niche which had perhaps best been left untouched.

A few months from now, German households will have the pleasure (or agony)
of tuning in to a 24-hour television station dealing exclusively with topics
related to death.

More people are taking advantage of anonymous burials, for example. Forest
cemeteries are likewise becoming more popular, as are Internet graveyards.
And the church no longer plays such a large role in the death
industry.
"We want to take a look at the changing nature of mourning and
death in the
Internet, pictures and movies," Gernig told SPIEGEL ONLINE in
reference to
the new death channel.

What's more:

Families can buy 30 second slots to create televised obituaries. For a €2,400
fee, the spot will be aired 10 times on the death channel and will also be
provided as video on the company's Web site and those of funeral homes.

Undoubtedly, death is as much a part of life as birth is. It is an inevitable eventualtiy we are all moving towards at varying speed. I"ll aslo go as far as saying that to date western European culture (certainly German society) has a somewhat skewed relationship with death. However, I find the approach of rubbing it in the viewers' faces 24/7 by way of a national mourning channel highly questionable. Perhaps even more questionable is the fact that despite the venture seeking

to take advantage of the country's changing demographics

by catering to the aging population, the channel will be

broadcast on satellite and on the Internet.

Only time will tell the actual success of this venture - perhaps it will have the unprecedented side-effect of changing the demographics of internet users.....

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quotes and photo taken from Spiegel Online , with exception of the final quote from Deutsche Welle