BR vs hr

BR Director Wildermuth Drops Wilhelm's Reappointment Bid

The Bavarian Broadcasting Corporation (BR) will not re-appoint Björn Wilhelm as Culture Director due to insufficient support in the Broadcasting Council. Director General Katja Wildermuth decided to abandon the reappointment after his initial bid failed in July 2026 and subsequent discussions failed to change the council's stance. Wilhelm's contract runs until February 2027, and BR will begin the formal process to find his successor. His tenure was marked by digital transformation, integration of BR Mediathek into ARD Mediathek, and reforms at Bayern 2, but also drew criticism from council members over perceived inadequate involvement.

• Björn Wilhelm's reappointment as BR Culture Director will not be pursued due to lacking majority in the Broadcasting Council.
• Wilhelm's initial reappointment bid failed in July 2026.
• Director General Katja Wildermuth stated the decision in a public announcement.

ARD Plans Largest Christmas Sing-Along Ever

German public broadcaster ARD announced plans to produce a live Christmas sing-along TV show titled "O du fröhliche - Deutschland singt!" on December 23, 2026, from the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Düsseldorf. The event aims to connect viewers across Germany and is promoted as the largest Christmas sing-along of all time. It will feature prominent guests such as Sarah Connor and Jonas Kaufmann. The broadcast will be produced by DEF Media in collaboration with NDR, WDR, and BR, with NDR leading the project.

• ARD announced a live Christmas sing-along TV show for December 23, 2026, at 8:15 PM on Das Erste.
• The event will take place at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Düsseldorf, with additional stadiums participating.
• Guests include Sarah Connor and Jonas Kaufmann.

BR exposes data leak in German mobile networks

A Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR) investigation found that during call setup German mobile networks transmitted technical smartphone data to the caller side. In tests, networks operated by Telekom, Vodafone and Telefónica forwarded identifiers and device information—including IMEI, device model and sometimes OS version—before the called party answered. Regulators and security agencies said these fields are unnecessary for call setup and create risks for fingerprinting-based targeted attacks. Netzbetreiber reported technical adjustments: Telefónica implemented changes, Vodafone limited transmitted information and Deutsche Telekom announced network adjustments. The GSMA informed its global membership and recommended removing unnecessary signalling data to enforce data minimisation in modern IP-based telephony stacks.

• A Bayerischer Rundfunk (BR) investigation found that technical smartphone data was transmitted during call setup in German mobile networks.
• Test calls showed networks operated by Telekom, Vodafone and Telefónica forwarded data such as IMEI, device model and sometimes OS version before the call was answered.
• Security authorities including the Federal Office for the Protection of the Constitution classified the vulnerability as security-relevant and warned of fingerprinting risks.

hr3 Weihnachtssingen mit Alec & Sascha von The BossHoss am 19. Dezember

Zum 'hr3 Weihnachtssingen' am Samstag, 19. Dezember, im Deutsche Bank Park in Frankfurt begrüßt Morningshow-Moderator Tobi Kämmerer besondere Stargäste: Alec & Sascha von der Country-Rockband 'The BossHoss' werden gemeinsam mit den Menschen im Stadion für eine ganz besondere weihnachtliche Stimmung sorgen. Unterstützt wird das 'hr3 Weihnachtssingen' von der Deutschen Bank.

Finale um „Das dollste Dorf 2026“ mit unterhaltsamer Neuerung

Finale! Am Sonntag, 13. September, kämpfen vier Dörfer um den Titel „Das dollste Dorf 2026“. Das hr-fernsehen überträgt ab 17.30 Uhr das zweistündige Spektakel live. Auf dem Gelände des Hessischen Rundfunks (hr) gehen Uttershausen (Schwalm-Eder-Kreis), Ebersgöns (Wetteraukreis), Hetschbach, (Odenwaldkreis) und Katholisch-Willenroth (Main-Kinzig-Kreis) ins Rennen um den goldenen Onkel Otto und den begehrten Titel.

Klima-Hotspot Mittelmeer: Sven Plöger zeigt, wie die Erderwärmung Europas Wetter verändert

Rekordtemperaturen, verheerende Waldbrände und langanhaltende Dürreperioden prägen zunehmend die Sommer in Europa. Besonders die Mittelmeerregion gilt als einer der Hotspots des Klimawandels – mit Folgen auch für Deutschland. ARD-Meteorologe Sven Plöger untersucht für seinen Film „Wie extrem wird das Wetter, Sven Plöger? - Klima-Hotspot Mittelmeer“, der am Montag, 14. September, um 20.15 Uhr im Ersten ausgestrahlt wird, wie sich die Region verändert und welche Zukunft unser Sehnsuchtsziel hat. Bereits ab dem 12. September ist der Film in der ARD Mediathek zu sehen.