Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF, stylized as 2DF) is one of two public broadcasting organisations in Germany, the other being ARD. Unlike ARD, ZDF is not divided into regional units, and only broadcasts on television and not radio.[1][2][3]
ARD 2[]
1961–1963[]
The prime ministers decided on March 17, 1961, that the ARD should launch a second TV channel.
Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen/ZDF[]
1963–1987[]
1963–1973[]
Designer:
Waldemar Hörnig
Typography:
Unknown
Launched:
April 1, 1963
On April 1, 1963, the new television station began broadcasting from Eschborn near Frankfurt am Main, with a speech by Dr. Karl Holzamer, the first director-general (intendant). A program in color was broadcast on the channel for the first time in 1967. Before using this logo, a similar logo was used by a television station in the United States of America, WJHL-TV from 1956–1960.
1973–1987[]
Designer:
Otl Aicher
Typography:
ZDF Hausschrift
Launched:
October 1973
ZDF[]
1987–1991[]
Designer:
In-House
Typography:
ZDF Hausschrift
Launched:
Unknown
1992–2001[]
Designer:
Rolf Gith
Typography:
ZDF Hausschrift
Launched:
January 1st, 1992
A new logo for ZDF was launched on January 1, 1992. The symbol depicts a sphere arranged between two rings, which is made up of 16 areas, that represents the 16 federal states of Germany. The symbol could also be interpreted as an eye, similar to CBS.
A new logo for ZDF was launched on June 2, 2001. The new identity was designed by Razorfish of New York in collaboration with Das Werk of Frankfurt.[4] The Z in the logo resembles a stylized number 2 (two), or zwei which also reflects the network's name.[5][6]
ZDF has not changed its logo since 2001, though its thematic channels have changed their logos several times. Zee TV, one of the most popular Indian TV channels, introduced a highly similar logo in 2017, with the word Zee in an orange circle and TV outside, the logo was no longer in use ever since it got replaced with a newer Zee TV logo on June 7, 2025.
