BR vs MDR

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.

Jana Cebulla to lead RBB Brandenburg offering

Jana Cebulla has been appointed as the head of the RBB's Brandenburg regional offering, a newly created position. The appointment was made by the broadcaster's broadcast council for a five-year term, following a proposal by RBB Director-General Ulrike Demmer. Cebulla, who joined RBB from MDR a few months ago, had been leading the program management department. The creation of this role responds to the perception that Brandenburg is underrepresented in RBB's programming, a matter also addressed by the RBB state treaty negotiated with authorities. The broadcaster's earlier legal challenge against the treaty's provisions was rejected by the constitutional court. In her new role, Cebulla will coordinate and advise across departments to ensure Brandenburg's perspectives are adequately considered in planning and decision-making processes. Notably, a similar leadership position for the Berlin offering will not be filled.

• Jana Cebulla has been appointed head of the RBB Brandenburg regional offering, a newly created role.
• The appointment was made by the RBB broadcast council for a five-year term.
• Cebulla moved from MDR to RBB a few months ago, where she led the program management department.

MDR SACHSEN-Dialogtage 2026: Dein Ort. Deine Themen – MDR SACHSEN mittendrin in Freiberg

Am Samstag, 12.09.2026, ab 18.00 Uhr am Rathaus/Ecke Burgstraße zur „Freiberger Nachtschicht“

Germany's AfD Win Threatens Public Broadcasting, MDR Exit Possible

The far-right AfD party won the Saxony-Anhalt state election with 43.8% of the vote but fell short of a majority, preventing an immediate unilateral exit from the MDR public broadcaster. However, talks with the BSW party could enable a future state withdrawal via changes to broadcasting treaties, potentially starting in 2029. Such a move would devastate regional journalism and public service media in the state. Meanwhile, Google is reportedly in talks with major Hollywood studios to license film archives and characters for AI training, potentially reshaping copyright and media monetization. The ARD media library will premiere new 'Tatort' episodes on Fridays, requiring registration, to convert anonymous reach into registered, returning users. France invests €500 million in audiovisual industry, positioning itself against Big Tech.

• AfD wins Saxony-Anhalt election with 43.8% but lacks majority.
• Google in talks with Disney, Universal, Warner Bros. for AI content licensing.
• ARD Mediathek to offer early 'Tatort' episodes requiring registration.