die medienanstalten vs ARD

Digital Radio Listening Rises: 66% Use DAB+ or Webradio

According to the 'Audio Trends 2026' study by the German media authorities (die Medienanstalten), 66% of radio listeners in Germany used digital reception paths (DAB+ or webradio) in the past four weeks, reaching a far listener circle of about 42 million people. This marks an increase from 64% in the previous year. Daily digital radio usage also grew to 42% of listeners. DAB+ remains the leading digital path, with 25 million users in four weeks, up by three percentage points. Webradio reached over 17 million users in four weeks. Household equipment is also expanding: 41% of households now own at least one DAB+ device, and over a quarter of the population has a DAB+ car radio. The study is based on a special evaluation of the ma Audio data by the Arbeitsgemeinschaft Media-Analyse (agma).

• 66% of German radio listeners used DAB+ or webradio in the past four weeks (up from 64%).
• Reach: approximately 42 million people (far listener circle).
• Daily digital radio usage: 42% of listeners, accounting for nearly a quarter of total radio usage.

Gesetzesentwurf der europäischen Kommission EU KIDS Act: Kinder schützen statt Regeln stapeln

Die Medienanstalten 17.09.2026 09/2026 Für einen wirksamen Kinder- und Jugendschutz braucht es die konsequente Anwendung bestehender europäischer Vorgaben Aufsicht Jugendmedienschutz Regulierung

EU KIDS Act: Kinder schützen statt Regeln stapeln

Die Medienanstalten positionieren sich zum EU KIDS Act: Für einen wirksamen Kinder- und Jugendschutz braucht es die konsequente Anwendung bestehender europäischer Vorgaben.

ARD continues discussion format 'Die 100'

The German public broadcaster ARD's flagship channel Das Erste will air two new episodes of its discussion format 'Die 100 - Was Deutschland bewegt' in November 2026, hosted by Ingo Zamperoni. The episodes are scheduled for Monday, November 23 and November 30, at 9:00 PM, taking the timeslot usually occupied by 'Hart aber fair' with Louis Klamroth. The format features 100 citizens from diverse backgrounds discussing a controversial question on a current political topic. Previous episodes aired in March with mixed ratings, including 1.25 million and 1.69 million viewers, but ARD continues to believe in the concept. Additional episodes have already been confirmed for 2027, though a specific air date is not yet set. The announcement follows a months-long pause.

• Das Erste will two new episodes of 'Die 100' air on November 23 and 30, 2026, at 21:00.
• The format is hosted by Ingo Zamperoni, known from 'Tagesthemen'.
• The episodes occupy the usual 'Hart aber fair' timeslot on Mondays.

ARD Scores Highest Wednesday Reach in 4.5 Years

On Wednesday evening, the ARD's prime-time thriller 'Frau ohne Namen' drew 5.36 million viewers, securing a 26.1% market share and marking the broadcaster's highest reach for that slot in four and a half years. The success was partly attributed to a weak performance by ZDF's 'Lass dich überwachen' with Jan Böhmermann, which only attracted 1.01 million viewers (4.9% market share), its lowest ever. The ARD film also performed well among younger audiences (14-49) with 10.2% share. The strong lead-in boosted the following program 'Plusminus' to 3.05 million viewers, its best since May 2024. ZDF's 'heute journal' managed 2.24 million viewers. An old 'Wilsberg' episode on ZDFneo outperformed the main ZDF channel in prime time with 1.44 million viewers.

• ARD's 'Frau ohne Namen' attracted 5.36 million viewers and a 26.1% market share on Wednesday.
• This was ARD's highest prime-time Wednesday reach in 4.5 years.
• ZDF's 'Lass dich überwachen' hit an all-time low with 1.01 million viewers (4.9% market share).

BR Launches AI News Assistant for Tagesschau and BR24

The Bavarian Broadcasting Corporation (BR) has launched an AI news assistant called "Dein News-Assistent" in beta, available on the BR24 homepage and selected articles. Based on Retrieval-Augmented Generation (RAG), it summarizes news, provides timelines, explanations of terms, recommendations, and a chat feature, all from journalistically verified content from BR24 and Tagesschau, with sources transparently linked. The project aims to enhance access to quality journalism and combat misinformation by creating a "Trusted Content Pool" within the ARD network, with long-term expansion across all ARD stations. Developed by the BR AI + Automation Lab in collaboration with editorial teams and the ARD Tech-Unit, it serves as a pilot to evaluate features and lay the foundation for a shared ARD knowledge space.

• BR launches 'Dein News-Assistent' as a beta version on BR24 and selected articles.
• The AI uses RAG architecture and is based exclusively on journalistically verified BR24 and Tagesschau content.
• It offers summaries, timelines, explanations, recommendations, and a chat, with transparent source linking.