Will the ZDF get a director?
And from the ranks of the ARD?
Despite the stalemate on the television council, the answer is no: Tina Hassel has thrown in the towel.
Mainz - The ZDF television council has found it difficult to choose a successor for director Thomas Bellut.
There was also no majority for one of the two candidates in the second ballot on Friday afternoon.
There is still a decision: ARD capital city studio manager Tina Hassel voluntarily withdrew from the race with ZDF program director Norbert Himmler.
"I will finish the race at this point," said Hassel at the meeting in Mainz.
She received fewer votes than Himmler in both rounds, but was able to improve her result in the second round.
28 TV council members voted for them and 32 for Himmler - compared to the first ballot, he lost two votes.
Himmler or Hassel?
ZDF television council is stuck with artistic director freestyle - session interrupted
There were two abstentions in the first ballot and none in the second ballot.
The director needs a three-fifths majority of the votes.
Since the television council has 60 members, 36 votes are required for a majority.
The meeting was suspended after the second ballot.
The artistic director's freestyle for the runner-up had also been viewed strongly under political auspices in the past few weeks.
Reports were made about a crowd of supporters for Himmler close to the Union and a red-green television council group behind Hassel.
In an interview, the ARD journalist denied her own political list and emphasized that voting was not based on party preference - but at the same time indirectly confirmed theses about the existence of “circles of friends” in the ZDF television council.
ZDF director wanted: Bellut to go in 2022, Himmler and Hassel successor candidates
Bellut is leaving on March 15, 2022.
He has been at the top of ZDF since March 2012.
In March 2021, he announced that he would not apply for a third term.
Electing the program director as the successor to the artistic director has a certain tradition at ZDF.
Not only Bellut but also his predecessor Markus Schächter held this post before the management.
In the run-up it was speculated that Hassel could live quite well with a defeat in the ZDF director's race - her goal could possibly be above all to position herself as a serious candidate for the post of WDR director.
A successor to Tom Buhrow is likely to be sought at the ARD heavyweight division.
However, not until 2025. (
AFP / fn
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