Executives of West German television, which is organized in a federal system of autonomous public corporations, insist that they do not beam propaganda into East Germany. ''The viewers in East Germany have the opportunity to take vicarious part in a working democracy by watching West German television,'' said Dietrich Schwarzkopf, the head of politcial programs for ARD, a West German channel.

Mr. Schwarzkopf said that East German viewers regularly complained in letters and phone calls that West German television was too critical of a free society. ''They often ask, 'Why do you undermine it so?' '' he said.

Both ARD and ZDF, another channel, have special weekly programs that concentrate on the two Germanys. In a recent sampling, an ARD program, ''Contrasts,'' dealt with the East German pacifist movement, the ideological upgrading of Martin Luther by the East German Communist authorities and the shadowy activities of an East German lawyer who specialized in helping political prisoners cross to the West for cash.

A ZDF program, ''Emblem D,'' has similiarly dealt with subjects not broadcast on East German television: love and sexuality in East Germany, a visit by East German students to West Germany and a test of the road-worthiness of the Trabant, an East German car.

''We try in this program to have something like a German-German dialogue,'' said Joachim Jauer, the director of ''Emblem D,'' which appears to be one of the most popular programs in East Germany. ''We want the citizens of both sides to know enough about each other so that they remain capable of talking to each other.''