Programtitel

Programtitel, or program title, is the designated name assigned to a television, radio, or digital program. It serves as the primary identifier in schedules, catalogs, listings, and metadata, helping audiences recognize and differentiate works within a broadcaster’s lineup or a streaming library. A programtitel may reflect the program’s format, content, or branding, and may differ from individual episode titles or working titles used during production.

In practice, the programtitel appears in electronic program guides, on streaming service homepages, and in catalog records. For multi‑episode series, the programtitel typically remains constant across episodes, while episode numbers and titles vary. The title often appears alongside genre, language, and rights information to assist viewers and researchers in identifying the work.

Metadata standards: The programtitel is included in metadata schemas such as Dublin Core, FRBR, and MPEG-7, and is linked to industry identifiers like ISAN and EIDR. Localized catalogs may provide translated or alternative titles in addition to the original language, supporting multilingual accessibility and searchability.

Naming conventions: Titles should be concise and accurately spelled, following language rules for capitalization and punctuation. They may include the original title plus translations or regional variants. Consistent handling of special characters is important to maintain cross‑platform searchability and avoid display issues.

Notes: In some cases a program’s title can change during development; legacy titles may be retained as alternate or regional titles. Clear catalog records distinguish the official, release‑ready programtitel from working titles or regional variants to prevent confusion.

See also: title (arts), metadata, electronic program guide, ISAN, EIDR.