ARD (full name:
Arbeitsgemeinschaft der öffentlich-rechtlichen
Rundfunkanstalten der Bundesrepublik
Deutschland – Consortium of public broadcasters in Germany, details below at name) is a joint organisation of Germany's regional
public-service broadcasters. It was founded in 1950 in
West Germany to represent the common interests of the new, decentralised, post-war broadcasting services – in particular the introduction of a joint television network.