External investigation at the NDR can start

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NDR broadcasting center in Kiel: External examiners investigate alleged political influence by superiors

Photo: IMAGO/Petra Nowack / IMAGO/penofoto

The external review of allegations against executives of Norddeutscher Rundfunk (NDR) in Kiel can start.

The Landesrundfunkrat Schleswig-Holstein initiated the audit by a commercial law firm on Monday, as the independent control body at the public broadcaster ARD announced after a meeting.

State Broadcasting Council Chairwoman Laura Pooth said: "It must be clarified whether the state political reporting of the state broadcasting center in Kiel was and is balanced and whether the existing editorial rules and processes are sufficient to prevent undue influence on state political reporting." The assessment of the After the investigation, the State Broadcasting Council is responsible for determining whether there has been a violation of the NDR State Treaty.

Weeks ago, the media reported allegations that, among other things, there could be a kind of filter by the superiors in political reporting in the state radio station.

For example, it was about an interview that an NDR journalist wanted to conduct, but his superiors refused.

Executives and broadcasters have rejected allegations of a political filter.

The case has already had personal consequences: State broadcasting center director Volker Thormählen has taken unpaid leave.

The editor-in-chief in Kiel, Norbert Lorentzen, and the politician responsible for politics, Julia Stein, had asked them to be released from their previous duties until further notice.

The presumption of innocence applies until the allegations have been clarified.

phw/dpa