, ▁under ▁the ▁leadership ▁of ▁then ▁chairman ▁Steve ▁Ross , ▁was ▁looking ▁for ▁ways ▁to ▁grow ▁its ▁business es ▁intern ation ally . ▁Time - W ar ner ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁was ▁a ▁major ▁share holder ▁in ▁Turner ▁Broadcast ing , ▁parent ▁company ▁of ▁CNN ▁( both ▁now ▁subs idi aries ▁of ▁Time - W ar ner ) ▁and ▁began ▁looking ▁for ▁ways ▁to ▁get ▁into ▁the ▁news ▁channel ▁business ▁intern ation ally . ▁In ▁ 1 9 9 1 , ▁under ▁the ▁direction ▁of ▁Tom ▁Mc Gr ath , ▁the ▁then - pres ident ▁of ▁Time - W ar ner ▁International ▁Broadcast ing , ▁the ▁company ▁developed ▁a ▁strategy ▁for ▁Austria , ▁Germany ▁and ▁the ▁German - spe aking ▁territ ories ▁of ▁Switzerland . ▁ ▁One ▁of ▁Mc Gr ath ' s ▁pet ▁projects ▁was ▁a ▁German ▁language ▁ 2 4 - hour ▁news ▁channel . ▁Mc Gr ath ▁secured ▁the ▁last ▁available ▁trans ponder ▁on ▁the ▁Kop ern ikus ▁satellite ▁and ▁secured ▁several ▁terrest rial ▁television ▁lic enses ▁for ▁transmission ▁of ▁what ▁would ▁become ▁n - tv . ▁Mc Gr ath ▁then ▁rec ru ited ▁several ▁German ▁companies ▁as ▁partners ▁including ▁the ▁Otto ▁Group , ▁AP AX ▁Part ners ▁and ▁rec ru ited ▁Karl ▁K uh lo , ▁an ▁experienced ▁German ▁broad c aster ▁as ▁the ▁CE O . ▁ ▁The ▁station ▁started ▁broadcast ing ▁in ▁November ▁ 1 9 9 2 , ▁head qu arter ed ▁in ▁Berlin . ▁In ▁doing ▁so , ▁it ▁became ▁the ▁first ▁German - language