“Hard but fair” moderator: Frank Plasberg complains about “overzealousness” on ARD and ZDF: “Sometimes broadcast over people’s heads”

“Sometimes we broadcast over people’s heads,” says moderator Frank Plasberg on public broadcasting. According to him, a reform is needed – with one of the smallest broadcasters within the ARD as a role model.

ARD presenter Frank Plasberg questioned the themes of the public broadcasters shortly before he left “hart aber fair”. “Diversity is an important task and minorities of any kind have to take place. The question is whether you have to do it with overzealousness,” said the 65-year-old on the podcast of the media company “The Pioneer”.

“Shouldn’t one also understand diversity to mean thinking of people who in the majority are becoming a minority, such as the perspective of the commuter flat rate with diesel in the country and not the premium for cargo bikes?” The journalist continues: “Sometimes we broadcast over people’s heads.”

Radio Bremen as a role model

For a reform of public broadcasting in Germany, Plasberg named Radio Bremen as a model. “Anyone who knows the lean structures at Radio Bremen, the director doesn’t even have a service bike, then you know where the right place for reform and a new start is,” said the long-time “tough but fair” moderator. “Learning from Bremen means learning to survive.”

Radio Bremen is one of the smallest stations within the ARD. Radio Bremen cannot finance itself completely from its own resources, i.e. from the broadcasting contributions to which the ARD broadcaster is entitled. As a so-called recipient institution – similar to the financial equalization of the federal states – the ARD broadcaster receives money from larger financially stronger ARD broadcasters just like the Saarländisches Rundfunk.

Louis Klamroth takes over “hard but fair”

Plasberg will moderate his talk show “hard but fair” for the last time next week. He bids farewell to the audience with the program entitled “Off to the desert – who’s looking forward to the World Cup in Qatar?”, which will be broadcast on Monday (November 14) from 9 p.m. After that, “hard but fair” takes a break.

In the coming weeks after the start of the football World Cup, either football or an old film will usually be found in the slot. From January 9, 2023, Louis Klamroth will then lead through the show.