Lotto: Claus Kleber fought for change for a year - in vain
Created: 01/02/2022, 09:01 PM
From: Felix Durach
Claus Kleber stops at “heute journal” and reports on a lottery change that he wanted to implement in recent years.
Without success.
Mainz - On Thursday, a great career in German TV history came to an end after more than 18 years.
The news anchor Claus Kleber celebrated his departure from the big news stage on December 30th and welcomed an audience of millions for the last time to “heute journal” on ZDF.
After 2977 broadcasts, to the sadness of many TV viewers, it was over for the 66-year-old.
Claus Kleber's end at “heute journal”: ZDF man admits to mania with empty phrases
At the end of the Kleber era, ZDF had prepared a clip that looked back at the time of the newscaster at “heute journal” and Kleber's long-time spokesperson Gundula Gause also addressed a few farewell words to her departing colleague.
“Good night and good luck and a happy new year.
Above all, many thanks to everyone here.
See you soon, "were the last words of the newscaster at the end of the program.
And that despite the fact that Kleber had previously announced that he did not want to take refuge in phrases when saying goodbye.
In an interview with
Der Spiegel
during the week, when asked how he would say goodbye to TV viewers, the 66-year-old said: "Hopefully without empty phrases, I've always avoided them, that's almost a mania for me."
“Heute journal”: Kleber fought for a year to change the lottery numbers
Kleber also provides an example of the aforementioned aversion to empty phrases.
The ZDF man explains that he was bothered by one detail in particular when the lottery numbers were announced.
These are traditionally announced every Wednesday and Saturday in the “heute journal”.
When Kleber and other news anchors read these out, they always point out that the information given is provided “without guarantee”.
A detail that Kleber was determined to do away with.
"For a year at ZDF I worked hard to delete the phrase 'All information without guarantee' after the lottery numbers," reports the 66-year-old in the interview.
Kleber simply sees the phrase as superfluous and redundant.
"Of course you are not guaranteed, tell me a situation where someone could sue us!", Continues the ZDF man.
Lotto change in "heute journal": "Just one of my many failures"
However, Kleber did not have any success with his project.
"In the end there was a thick folder with my complaint that went through all departments - and the wording is still there," was the conclusion.
Glue goes, the lottery phrase remains.
However, the 66-year-old takes his unsuccessful project athletically.
The missed change is "just one of my many failures".
(fd)
