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Damaged forest area
Photo: Patrick Pleul / picture alliance / dpa
A year ago, the “Climate before eight” initiative asked ARD in an online petition to broadcast a regular program on the climate crisis before the main news - instead of the usual stock market reporting.
The cautious reaction of the public service program had two consequences: On the one hand, the initiative published an open letter to the ARD chairman Tom Buhrow to underline the demand.
On the other hand, however, a competitor of the ARD from private television has apparently jumped into the breach.
RTL and the “Climate before eight” initiative are “in close contact with one another for a regular format that focuses on well-founded and at the same time understandable climate reporting,” according to a press release by the broadcaster.
The new format should be seen in the context of the main news program "RTL Aktuell".
"Clever," commented media journalist Stefan Niggemeier on Twitter, "RTL picks up the ball that ARD left behind."
As early as April 22, the international Earth Day, RTL presenter Maik Meuser will present a “climate update”, the message goes on to say.
According to this, the format is created “in an overarching collaboration between the“ Stern ”,“ Geo ”, ntv and RTL editorial teams”.
The format can therefore also be seen as an example of the overarching “Content Alliance” that Bertelsmann wants to forge with its media companies - including a conceivable merger of the Gruner + Jahr publishing house with RTL.
In September, the “Stern” published a booklet designed together with “Fridays For Future” for World Climate Day.
Stephan Schmitter, RTL News Managing Director, announced that the aim was to »inform and educate people about climate change, raise awareness of the threats even more and point out possibilities of what we can all do together for our future.« The chairman of the association »Climate before eight, “Michael Flammer is looking forward to a constructive exchange with the Cologne broadcaster.
"It is a great success for the initiative," that RTL is the first television station to respond to our call. "
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