Observed Signal · Sep 22, 2026 · Leadership Appointment · Source: DWDL · Impact: 2/5 · Sentiment: Positive
VAUNET Re-Elects Grewenig, Gerhardt Leads Radio Sector
At the VAUNET general meeting, Claus Grewenig, Chief Corporate Affairs Officer of RTL Deutschland, was unanimously re-elected as chairman of the board. Nina Gerhardt, CEO of RTL Radio Deutschland, took over the chair of the Radio sector from Marco Maier, who remains as her deputy. Michael Müller of ProSiebenSat.1 continues to lead the TV & Multimedia sector, with Sebastian Kocks as deputy. Matthias Heinze of Warner Bros. Discovery assumed the role of treasurer. The meeting included guest Jan Ole Püschel, who emphasized the importance of a diverse media landscape. Leaders called for reduced regulation, fair competition with Big Tech, and improved discoverability of private radio offerings.
Leadership changes at a major German media association, relevant to broadcasting and regulatory oversight but not a major adtech event.
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Key Takeaways & Evidence Grounding
- Claus Grewenig was unanimously re-elected as VAUNET's chairman.
- Nina Gerhardt becomes chair of the Radio sector, succeeding Marco Maier.
- Michael Müller remains chair of TV & Multimedia sector.
- Matthias Heinze appointed treasurer.
- Jan Ole Püschel of the federal government's media department attended.
Connected Companies & Entities
3 Entities mapped“Michael Müller represents ProSiebenSat.1 in the TV & Multimedia sector....”
“Matthias Heinze is from Warner Bros. Discovery and became treasurer....”
Ontology Mapping & Concepts
Related Market Signals & Shifts
Recent verified developments and strategic activity across this market segment.
Nina Gerhardt Takes Lead of Vaunet Radio Division
Nina Gerhardt, CEO of RTL Radio Deutschland, has been elected to lead the Radio and Audio Services division of Vaunet, the German private media association. She succeeds Marco Maier, CEO of FFH Mediengruppe, who did not seek re-election after six years. Gerhardt remains deputy chair of the Vaunet board. The association's board chair, Claus Grewenig of RTL Deutschland, was re-elected unanimously. Gerhardt advocates for regulation tailored to the audio market, emphasizing the discoverability of private radio on digital platforms and in cars, and calls for fair competition with public broadcasters. Matthias Heinze of Warner Bros. Discovery was elected treasurer, succeeding Kristina Freymuth. The article also highlights Vaunet's ongoing push for favorable regulatory conditions for private media.
VAUNET Criticizes German Media Policy Implementation
At its annual get-together in Berlin, German private media association VAUNET celebrated but also criticized the political landscape. Chairman Claus Grewenig highlighted a 'grave implementation problem' in digital regulation, noting that 72% of digital ad revenues go to global Big Tech platforms. He criticized new legislative burdens instead of relief for private media, advocated for eased media merger rules, and urged faster implementation of the Digitale-Medien-Staatsvertrag (DMStV). Rhineland-Palatinate State Secretary Torsten Welling, who coordinates the Rundfunkkommission, defended the DMStV draft as a 'media policy masterpiece' aiming to create fair rules and address media concentration in the digital age. The event also saw a debate between Grewenig and Welling on platform regulation versus deregulation of private media.
RTL appoints Walthelm & Radelsberger; Schwecke, Heisserer leave
Following RTL Deutschland’s approved takeover of Sky Deutschland, RTL Group announced a new management team combining executives from both companies. Stephan Schmitter will serve as CEO of RTL Deutschland. Elke Walthelm (from Sky Deutschland) will join as Chief Human Resources Officer and Michael Radelsberger (from Sky Austria/Sky Media) will join as Chief Consumer Officer responsible for the combined pay business (about 12.3 million paying subscribers across RTL+, Sky and Wow). Carsten Schwecke (formerly head of monetization, IT, Data & Technology) and Ingrid Heisserer (former CFO and CHRO) will leave. Julia Kloke (from Riverty) will become CFO on May 1. The reshuffle emphasizes streaming and integration while moving marketing leadership outside the executive board.
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