Unitymedia adds RTL's HD channels

Germany's second largest cable operator Unitymedia will add five HDTV channels from German commercial broadcaster Mediengruppe RTL Deutschland to its cable network in federal states North-Rhine Westphalia and Hessen. The carriage contract has now been signed, RTL announced in Cologne. RTL HD, VOX HD and RTL II HD are available to cable households with a digital cable subscription from now on. For reception, they need HD-compliant hardware and they need to be signed up to the HD option. Super RTL HD and pay-TV channel RTL Crime HD - which will become available in high-definition for the first time - will follow in May 2012. Unitymedia has been distributing the HD channels of competing commercial broadcaster ProSiebenSat.1 since 15 November 2011.