ARD Program Director (ARD-Programmdirektorin), contract extended to 2031, ARD (Arbeitsgemeinschaft der öffentlich-rechtlichen Rundfunkanstalten der Bundesrepublik Deutschland)
Christine Strobl im Gespräch: Braucht das Erste eine Rosskur, um Netflix die Stirn bieten zu können?
Markus Söder fordert von ARD und ZDF weniger Unterhaltung und mehr Informationen. Fürs Erste könnte der Ministerpräsident seine Wünsche nur wenige Kilometer von seiner Staatskanzlei entfernt im Haus der Bayerischen Rundfunks an der dafür zuständigen Stelle anbringen: Dort sitzt seit genau einem Jahr Christine Strobl als ARD-Programmdirektorin und damit als Verantwortliche für das künftige Programmschema der neun Landesrundfunkanstalten. Doch es wäre für Söder wohl kein lockerer Smalltalk: Die Tochter von Wolfgang Schäuble und Ehefrau des baden-württembergischen Innenminister Thomas Strobl gilt...
Transcript (41 segments)
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Moderator0:00
We come now to our press conference with the ARD Program Director Christine Strobl. I greet you. Today we honor our club. It's about media topics that move viewer success. With me is our honorary chairman Peter Schmalz, and we don't want to waste time. Peter, please the first question.
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Peter Schmalz0:25
So, first of all, I met the directors of Bavarian Broadcasting yesterday, including Wildermuth, who sat in this chair before. It was at the opening of the state exhibition in Ansbach. But as I said, tomorrow, today I meet the second strong woman under the roof of the player. But not under her sovereignty, the program director sits in Bavarian Broadcasting but is a tenant there. It's true that the highest positions in Munich for public service broadcasting are occupied by women. What does that mean?
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Christine Strobl1:07
It is interesting, but I have to say that the ARD has become more female in recent years through several directors. I am genuinely pleased to be the first woman as ARD Program Director, but it could have happened earlier. I had the opportunity to lead the Deghetto for nine years and make films and series, which was a great gift. When I was asked to become program director, I saw it as a great chance and I was delighted. I find the jobs of director interesting, but honestly, I like mine best. There was also a question about the SWR, but due to my family's involvement in politics, it would have been complicated, so I said I wouldn't be available. So today you can be happy about that.
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Peter Schmalz3:45
But now the real work begins. You have a reputation for being determined, power-conscious, assertive. Now we are in a phase where a new media state treaty is being negotiated. Some say there is a tough treatment ahead for the ARD institutions. Are you now in the right seat? Have you rolled up your sleeves? What do you expect from the treaty that must be passed next year?
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Christine Strobl4:24
The media state treaty is, along the lines of our federal structure, a challenge. 16 federal states must agree, including Bavaria. I have great confidence that something good will come out of it. The states have recognized a need for reform, which is in our interest. We hope for more flexibility in how we offer programming, whether linear or on the media library. It's important for us to keep a comprehensive mandate and not separate information, education, and entertainment. That is one of the key points under discussion. Also, we need to reach all population groups, especially younger people, through on-demand offers. We are in the middle of that.
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Peter Schmalz7:43
Let's first go into the two parts you mentioned: strengthening the linear program, especially among young viewers, and bringing the media library more into focus. Can you name the most important aspects for your work?
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Christine Strobl8:19
The phenomenon of media use: Daily TV viewing among those over 50 is increasing, up to 317 minutes a day. Among those under 50, the opposite: the younger, the more radical, they no longer watch linear TV but streaming services or the media library. So we have two separate media to serve. The challenge is that we are internationally influenced by Netflix and Amazon. We need different approaches for the media library, especially in fiction and documentary. We are working on telling stories in a new way, with series formats. For documentaries, we need to be more competitive internationally, with higher budgets and concentration on fewer, stronger productions.
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Peter Schmalz13:09
There is a complaint from filmmakers that editorial departments expect narrative patterns from fiction, like the hero's journey. Could a long-demanded innovation fund for independent producers with 12 percent of the contribution sum, chosen by a jury free from editorial influence, be a solution?
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Christine Strobl15:29
I am amused when people say editors are the preventers of innovation. My experience is different; I know many colleagues who are open. But I understand the need for innovation, especially in documentaries. We have to change in the editorial departments as well. We are working on longer pieces from magazine topics, and I see great openness. For example, we have started a series on the subject of wealth and money, and a comprehensive series on school shootings. The key is to be 'connectable' and think in series. I believe we can achieve this with the editorial teams.
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Peter Schmalz20:26
At the beginning of your work, there was excitement that you wanted to take airtime away from the magazine programs. Has that calmed down? How did you clarify that?
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Christine Strobl20:48
Changes always come with public attention. I always seek direct dialogue. It was never about reducing airtime for the first team, but about finding ways to reach people under 50 who no longer watch the Weltspiegel at a specific time. We have found a good way now: a new 75-minute political block on Sundays, combining Tagesschau Report from Berlin and Weltspiegel. This creates a flow and offers comprehensive coverage. The editors are happy because they keep their long pieces. It works wonderfully.
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Peter Schmalz25:00
You are a programming maker, that's sympathetic. But the facts show that there is less money to realize programs. Only about 30 percent of the contribution sum is left for producing programs. At the same time, a study shows that expensive current information programs are decreasing while cheap licensed soaps and repeats are increasing. Do you suffer from having to save on programming while money is not effectively used elsewhere?
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Christine Strobl26:50
One must be careful. Pure program costs don't include employees. I struggle with that view. Yes, we suffer from savings in programming. But I disagree that we are producing less. Our output has not decreased. We have two problems: an overheated market – international money drives up costs, and we have inflation and tariff increases. We have not had more money in recent years. We also need resources for independent media library content. So it's not that we are filling with licensed shows; rather, we have higher costs and stagnating program funds. We try to concentrate our forces and make fewer but stronger productions, like the Nazi documentary, to be internationally competitive.
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Peter Schmalz32:13
The Minister President said there is too much entertainment, and specifically, 'I don't need the hundredth Deghetto film.' You were the head of Deghetto. Is there too much entertainment? How do you counter this?
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Christine Strobl32:54
I think Patricia Schlesinger already responded charmingly. The key question is: what is entertainment? It's hard to define. Are Tatort or Babylon Berlin entertainment? They are cultural assets. Even if they are entertainment, is that what he means? I would strongly advise politics not to open this can of worms because it's not categorizable. Take comedy: Carolin Kebekus is political cabaret, Böhmermann brings topics that otherwise wouldn't be covered. So I warn against this debate. On the other hand, we do have entertainment like Wetten, dass...? or Klein gegen Groß – would we not want them? I think all that is not meant. So the question is what is meant. We have a passion for this topic. It's a fascinating debate.
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Peter Schmalz38:01
Following on from fiction, independent producers complain they are being starved and the institutions only serve themselves through Deghetto. Is that true?
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Christine Strobl38:50
Deghetto doesn't produce itself; it commissions production companies. The same goes for the state broadcasters. In Bavaria, we have a vital production landscape. There is a producer report that shows transparency. I don't hear that current complaint. It's true that some individual producers may not have enough work, but overall that is not the case. Often, passionate documentary makers are sent out with too small budgets, and we should be more honest and not greenlight underfunded productions. That's a problem we need to address.
There is so much passion and sometimes financial risk in production. In documentary film, I've often advised against it. You have to talk responsibly and sometimes say no rather than send someone underfunded. But many people fight passionately for their film, and you have to accept that.
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Moderator41:45
You want to bring more productions that are only in the Mediathek. What is the point? Why not also show them on linear TV?
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Christine Strobl41:56
It's not about making something exclusively for the Mediathek, but it's made for the Mediathek, so it can target a specific, smaller audience. For example, the series 'All You Need' about gay youth in Berlin was shown on linear TV but made for the Mediathek. In linear TV, we aim at the entire population. In the Mediathek, users choose from many programs, so we can target smaller groups. The Mediathek user is like a cinema visitor who commits to watching, while the linear TV viewer switches away quickly. So we can tell more complex stories. We need programs made for the Mediathek, and that requires more money to serve both linear and Mediathek.
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Moderator45:43
You're talking about money. Netflix and others have much more. Can the Mediathek compete?
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Christine Strobl45:56
ARD Mediathek had two billion video views last year, growing 20% in the first quarter. Combined with ZDF, we are on par with international providers. We have unique offerings: current news, regional content, and a mix of series and local news. We need to improve personalization and algorithms. If we do, we have a real chance to compete.
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Moderator48:52
Wouldn't it be cheaper if ARD and ZDF cooperated more? Are there efforts?
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Christine Strobl49:08
We already cooperate, for example in the morning magazine and sports events. But we value editorial independence. We are working on technical solutions like a common search function and seamless transition between Mediatheks. ARD is federal with many contributors, ZDF is centralized. We are making progress.
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Moderator52:27
Could that be expanded to a European streaming service?
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Christine Strobl52:35
There are initiatives through the EBU for joint sports rights and documentary efforts. But a common European streaming platform is still far off. I'm happy with the progress with ZDF.
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Moderator53:45
How do you measure quality? Not just ratings. And what about public value? What do public broadcasters contribute to the common good?
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Christine Strobl55:07
Public value is very important. For example, we had a theme week on urban/rural migration. We ran a water campaign where citizens reported dried-up waters, and we covered it extensively. After the flood disaster, we launched a donation campaign and told moving stories. We also cover amateur sports and volunteerism. For example, the choir festival in Leipzig shows people's passion for singing. Public value means engaging with the audience and covering relevant topics.
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Moderator1:01:14
A question: Don't we need fewer documentaries about mass shootings and more positive signals? For example, the ARTE documentary about an Iranian who runs a shared flat with a 100-year-old. Why was that only on ARTE and not on Das Erste?
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Christine Strobl1:01:45
We do have many positive examples, like the series about a football club founded by people with migration background. It's hard to say why a specific program isn't on Das Erste. But all ARTE productions are now in the ARD Mediathek. We also have a positive documentary about choir singers coming soon.
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Moderator1:03:19
Tobias Krohne from Deutschlandfunk has a question.
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Tobias Krohne1:03:21
Netflix has a 'Play Something' feature. You mentioned personalization. What are your efforts and what are the hurdles?
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Christine Strobl1:04:08
We don't have a mandatory login, only for youth protection. We have 2 million voluntary logins. We want to make login mandatory to offer algorithmic personalization. But we want an algorithm that doesn't just reinforce bubbles but also confronts users with different content. We are working on it. The art of filmmaking is to take people on a journey to topics they might not choose.
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Moderator1:10:42
Some Mediatheks have virtual channels for specific topics. Could ARD Mediathek have a Tatort channel or investigative channel?
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Christine Strobl1:11:28
We already have documentary channels on YouTube. In the Mediathek, we have 12 theme fields. We recently integrated the tagesschau area. We will also highlight sportschau. So virtual channels exist in a way.
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Moderator1:12:55
Peter Jakob from er media GmbH has a question.
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Peter Jakob1:13:06
We've seen prominent moderator switches from ARD and ZDF to private broadcasters. Are they copying our news competence? Is it a loss for us?
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Christine Strobl1:13:40
It's both. Private broadcasters hope to gain our image of information competence by poaching our faces. But it hasn't worked; the audience didn't follow. For example, Jörg Pilawa's audience didn't move with him. I see it as a compliment and an opportunity for new talent. We also poach from others, like Esther Sedlaczek from Sky.
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Moderator1:18:20
What are you most looking forward to in the coming months that we don't know yet?
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Christine Strobl1:18:47
I never like to answer that because it makes others feel unloved. But I'm looking forward to the Odeonplatz concert broadcast and the production 'Das Netz' about mafia structures in football, timed with the World Cup in Qatar.
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Moderator1:20:04
Thank you for the open words and reflections. Sometimes uncomfortable, but that's our job. We wish you perseverance and charm. If we meet again, that would be good. Greetings from Frau Winter.