The Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk became the state radio and TV broadcaster for the three states of Saxony, Saxony-Anhalt and Thüringen in 1992, not long after they were created following the joining of the former East Germany (GDR) to the Federal Republic in 1990.
MDR Fernsehen is the regional "third channel" for the three states, with some sub-regional programming. The channel is dominated by factual and live magazine programmes, along with repeats of programmes from other (state) channels. MDR also contributes to the national Das Erste (first channel), predominantly with medical series, wildlife shows and award-winning episodes of some of Germany's beloved detective serials.
MDR Aktuell1993 East Germans were used to watching the main evening news at 19:30, and so MDR keeps them supplied with news from the region at that time each weekday evening. The headlines are presented in a style that is heavily remeniscent of the former GDR news programme Aktuelle Kamera, and the first two headlines ("2.3 million telephone lines installed since reunification" and "Sensational victory by Markus Wasmeier") are also of the good news/propaganda genre favoured by the GDR.
In the studio, though, it's rather more progressive, with newsreaders standing up a good 10 years earlier than they were adopted in the UK. And the Aston emphasises that Sabine Hingst is "Editor in the Studio" and not just an announcer dutifully reading out the party's line.
MDR Ident1993
Although the title ("The blue hour") refers to dusk, this was a late-night programme or strand which ran for several years on MDR
Fernsehen.