German TV to tap into ageing and dying market
A German former TV producer has linked with his country’s funeral associations to tap into the ageing, death and dying market to launch a 24-hour seven days a week cable TV
channel and internet program.
Called Eos TV, after the Greek goddess of the dawn, the channel will feature televised obituaries, information on graveyards, finding a good retirement home, and household assistance such as home stair lifts.
The producer, Wolf Tilmann Schneider, said that “more than 800,000 people died in Germany last year. Multiply that by four and you have a rough estimate of relatives affected. They will be our target audience”.
Germany now has one of the lowest birth rates in the world with almost 150,000 more deaths than births in 2006, and over 2 million elderly people receiving professional care.
“There are millions of people around the country confronting the issues of ageing and death,” Mr Schneider said. “And it may come as a surprise but many older people really enjoy visiting cemeteries – not just to mourn but for their peace and quiet.”
