Böhmermann settles accounts with public broadcasting, practices self-criticism - and asks viewers to leave

Created: 05/11/2022, 17:58

By: Stefanie Fischhaber

In the ZDF Magazin Royale, Jan Böhmermann took the public broadcaster to court.

© Screenshot/ ZDF Magazin Royale

Jan Böhmermann went to court with the public broadcaster in the ZDF Magazin Royale.

He pointed out grievances and spoke out in favor of a reform of the ÖRR.

Cologne – In his late-night show “ZDF Magazin Royale”, Jan Böhmermann and his team regularly uncover grievances.

The satirist recently made headlines because he published a report on NSU terror on his show.

Now the moderator took a critical look at public broadcasting - and in the end asked his viewers to leave the studio for a works meeting.

Abuses in public broadcasting: Böhmermann gives angry speech on ZDF

On Friday (November 4), Böhmermann worked on the scandals at public broadcasting (ÖRR) in his show.

As "a child of public broadcasting", as he called himself on the show, he also got a bit emotional.

"Public broadcasting sucks," Böhmermann opened his angry speech against his employer.

Right at the beginning of the show, he explained: "I'm speaking purely as a private individual, not as a moderator on ZDF." In the course of the article, he repeatedly attacked Tom Burhow, the chairman of ARD.

He recently made a similar statement in favor of a revolution in the ÖRR after he has been director of West German Broadcasting for nine years.

ZDF Magazin Royale: Jan Böhmermann criticizes the ARD boss floor

However, Böhmermann did not limit the swipes against the top floor in the ÖRR to Buhrow.

He also criticized the numerous scandals, for example the MDR director in Saxony-Anhalt, who has since resigned, and the company car affair of the BR technology director.

He also went to court with the former RBB director Patrizia Schlesinger, who was accused of nepotism.

According to Böhmermann, there is also nepotism in the NDR state radio station.

"The shit is on the steam," Böhmermann summarized the current situation in the ÖRR.

He also sees the defensive attitude of ARD and ZDF in these scandals critically.

He also complained that the institutions regularly distanced themselves from their own program "so that Nazis don't start a shit storm," said the satirist.

On his own station, for example, he criticized the fact that he had shortened a laudatory speech by rapper Danger Dan because this AfD supporter had described it as a "complete idiot".

Böhmermann criticizes public service: the need for reform of structures and working conditions

To see the ÖRR "as it is now, it just hurts," said Böhmermann.

These abuses should actually be avoided by control mechanisms.

The Broadcasting Council and the Board of Directors should represent the supervisory bodies of the ÖRR.

But there are also politicians like Markus Söder and Malu Dreyer on the ZDF board of directors.

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Independence, remoteness from the state and diversity are far from there, attested Böhmermann.

Accordingly, there are hardly any ethnic minorities or members of the LGBTQ community on the committees.

“An institution is always there for exactly what it was founded for.

In the case of public law, for German society in June 1950,” said Böhmermann.

Böhmermann believes that public broadcasting is in need of reform.

But that is by no means a reason to abolish the ÖRR right away, as many “authoritarian idiots” have been demanding for years.

Böhmermann sees a need for reform above all in the structures and working conditions of the staff.

Above all, the freelancers, who make up 40 percent of the employees at ZDF alone, lack planning security.

Many complained about existential fears.

Self-criticism at ZDF Magazin Royal: Böhmermann ended the program with a works meeting

"I can't stand these system maintenance reflexes anymore," said Böhmermann.

The ÖRR needs reform "so that it remains a strong and independent instrument for enlightenment and criticism of power." However, this does not work if those in power sit in the control bodies or directors do not reconsider their privileges.

At the end of the show, the satirist practiced self-criticism.

Things also go wrong in his own production.

To send a message to the staff of the late night show, there was a very unusual ending for the viewers: Böhmermann asked the viewers to leave the studio.

The workforce would now come together for a works meeting.