The 18th Echo German Record Awards ceremony will tale place on Feb. 21 in Berlin.
Organized by the German Phonographic Academy, an institution of the German Federal Music Industry Association, the show will be broadcast by public TV station ARD rather than commercial TV station RTL, which screened the ceremony last year.
According to the managing director of the German Phonographic Academy, Stefan Michalk, the new deal was agreed because ARD has numerous radio stations in Germany and the partnership will involve the stations reporting on the Echo Awards nominations and build-up leading up to the ceremony.
According to insiders, ARD is paying the same broadcasting fee as RTL last year – €1.5 million ($1.9 million).
A final decision has not yet been made on the venue as negotiations are still ongoing, according to Michalk. Last year, Echo took place in Berlin’s International Congress Centrum (ICC), which seats an audience of 7,000. Talks are being held with the operators of the recently opened 02 World Arena, which has over 17,000 seats.
