Germany

[DE] ZDF Has Achieved Journalistic Objectives

IRIS 2006-9:1/40

Carmen Palzer

Institute of European Media Law (EMR), Saarbrücken/Brussels

According to its Director General, Markus Schächter, Zweites Deutsches Fernsehen (ZDF), one of the public service broadcasters in Germany, has achieved many of the objectives it laid down in its programming plan for 2004-2006. The Director General drew this conclusion in his report on the broadcaster's efforts to meet the objectives it set for itself, submitted to the ZDF- Fernsehrat ( ZDF Television Council) in Saarbrücken.

According to the provisions of the Rundfunkstaatsvertrag, ZDF , the Arbeitsgemeinschaft der öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten der Bundesrepublik Deutschland (association of German public service broadcasters - ARD) and Deutschlandradio must submit a statement of objectives every two years, covering the main elements of their programming services. The Fernsehrat , one of ZDF's internal monitoring bodies, checks at the end of the two-year period whether the objectives laid down for that period have been achieved.

The Fernsehrat comprises 77 members from different parts of the corporation, who thus represent its pluralistic structure. The ZDF Director General said that he would submit the new statement of objectives for the period to September 2008 to the Fernsehrat in October for discussion and adoption.