ZDF

Berlin – September 15, 2026 -- WELT chief reporter Ibrahim Naber won the Deutscher Fernsehpreis in the category "Best Presenter / Individual Achievement Information" on September 9, 2026, for his continuous frontline reporting from Ukraine.

Naber has covered Ukraine's front lines since Russia's 2022 invasion began

The WELT chief reporter has documented combat zones and the civilian toll of the war since the start of the Russian invasion in 2022. In autumn 2025, Naber, his producer and his cameraman were wounded during a research trip when a Russian drone struck their location.

ZDF presenter Markus Lanz cites Naber's persistence under direct threat in laudatory speech

ZDF moderator Markus Lanz, delivering the award laudation, said Naber had experienced death directly and that fear had become visible in his eyes after the drone strike, yet he continued reporting from both sides of the conflict without theatrics.

Mainz – September 13, 2026 -- German broadcaster ZDF and Swiss broadcaster SRF launched a new international leadership forum, the Streamium Days, bringing executives from public and private media companies across Europe together at ZDF's Mainz headquarters on September 7-8, 2026.

ZDF director calls turnout beyond expectations

Dr. Florian Kumb, Director Audience at ZDF, said the event exceeded expectations in every respect, citing the openness of discussions and participants' willingness to share knowledge and experience. He described the media industry as being in the midst of profound change, making cross-border learning and shared responses to digital transformation increasingly urgent.

Berlin – September 10, 2026 -- German Cancer Aid (Deutsche Krebshilfe) collected roughly 4.6 million euros in donations during a televised charity quiz special broadcast on public broadcaster ZDF.

Celebrity contestants earn 80,000 euros in quiz duels against subject experts

Actors Moritz Bleibtreu and Henning Baum, alongside model Franziska Knuppe, competed on "Der Quiz-Champion - Das Spenden-Special," hosted by Johannes B. Kerner, against five specialists: Anna Thalbach, Johann Lafer, Felix Neureuther, Elton and Katrin Bauerfeind. The three celebrities' combined quiz performance generated 80,000 euros for German Cancer Aid.

Mainz – September 10, 2026 -- German public broadcaster ZDF launches its 2026/2027 UEFA Champions League coverage with two consecutive highlight broadcasts, airing the men's competition for the third season under the 36-team league-phase format.

ZDF schedules back-to-back highlight shows for matchday one

"ZDFsportstudio UEFA Champions League" airs Wednesday, September 9, 2026, at 23:00 CET, covering opening matches involving VfB Stuttgart and Borussia Dortmund. A second edition follows Thursday, September 10, 2026, at 23:15 CET, featuring FC Bayern Munich and RB Leipzig. Host Katrin Müller-Hohenstein anchors both editions from the Mainz studio, joined by former professional player and U19 national coach Hanno Balitsch as analyst.

Mainz – September 09, 2026 -- German public broadcaster ZDF has shortlisted five debut novels for its 48th annual "aspekte" Literature Prize, a €10,000 award recognized as a launchpad for major literary careers since 1979.

Five debut novels advance to the final round

The finalists are Valeria Gordeev's "Die Zikade entschlüpft ihrer goldglänzenden Hülle" (S. Fischer), Clara Leinemann's "Gelbe Monster" (Suhrkamp), Martin Piekar's "Vom Fällen eines Stammbaums" (Rowohlt), Lilli Tollkien's "Mit beiden Händen den Himmel stützen" (Aufbau), and David Vajda's "Diamanten" (Hanser). Each title represents a different major German-language publishing house, underscoring the prize's reach across the industry's leading imprints.

Mainz – September 08, 2026 -- ZDF's Administrative Council confirmed Bettina Schausten for a new term as chief editor of the German public broadcaster, extending her mandate through September 30, 2032. The decision was taken on Friday, September 4, 2026.

Council extends Schausten's leadership through 2032

Schausten has held the chief editor role since 2022, overseeing ZDF's editorial direction at a time when public broadcasters face mounting pressure from shifting media consumption patterns and audience fragmentation.

Intendant Himmler cites her role in editorial transformation

ZDF Intendant Dr. Norbert Himmler said Schausten represents independent journalism and a clear editorial stance, crediting her with successfully advancing the broadcaster's chief editorial operations during a period of deep media change.

SHERIDAN, WYOMING -- August 28, 2026 -- ZDF replaced its scheduled 1:00 a.m. broadcast slot on Friday, Aug. 28, with a rerun of "Terra X History: Nordmänner – Die wahre Geschichte der Wikinger," a 2025 German production that first aired on the network on May 10, 2026. The public broadcaster confirmed the swap in a programming notice issued at 2:55 p.m. on Aug. 28 through news aktuell. The originally planned repeat of "Terra X History: Was ist deutsch? Die Geschichte der Migration" was dropped from the lineup entirely. ZDF said the rest of Friday's broadcast day continues as planned starting at 1:45 a.m.