From now on: no news block in the daily topics at the weekend!

From now on: no news block in the daily topics at the weekend!

Deutschland - From June 1, 2025, there will be no news block on weekends in the “daily topics” of the ARD. This decision was announced by the ARD chief spokesman Jens Riewa, who described the end of this format on his Instagram account as a “chapter” and a piece of history. Riewa, who has been spokesman for the "Tagesschau" since 1995 and has been chief spokesman for the "Daily Topics" since 2020, emphasized that after the "Tagesschau" he will have finished work.

The reactions to this decision are mostly negative. Spectators express their annoyance in social networks. Among them is the actor Hans Sigl, known from the "Bergdoktor". He asks, "Why Oh why? Quo Vadis Information?". Many spectators feel disadvantaged as a fee and criticize that their opinions do not flow into such decisions. One viewer is in question for what the GEZ fees still serve, while another finds the decision as strange and shame and suspects that she is connected to personnel savings.

historical background of the daily topics

The "daily topics" have been broadcast since 1978 and have established themselves as an important part of German television. The program can usually be seen several times a week and is usually broadcast on the weekend after the Prime Time broadcast. The duration of the shipment is between 20 and 35 minutes. With this change, which affects the news block on weekends, a long tradition of transmission to the viewer ends.

Although the negative reactions predominate, there are also conciliatory voices. Some users would like to thank Riewa for the information, while others indicate that they may change to the competitive format of the ZDF, the “Today Journal”.

Current media studies and user behavior

In the context of these changes, the ARD/ZDF media study 2024 is introduced, which records the development of media use in Germany. This study, which brings together ARD and ZDF data, aims to map current media developments and innovations. It follows a methodology that remains stable but has tightened and further developed the questionnaire. The results of the study are updated annually and published on the website. These developments could provide additional insights into the user behavior of the audience, especially with regard to the changes in the "daily topics".

Overall, the decision of ARD brings to the weekend of the "daily topics" news block at the weekend, many reactions and discussions with itself, which touch both the future design of information programs and the trust of the audience in public service media.

Further information about the "Tagesse Topics" and the current media study can be found on , tz.de and ard media