Norbert Himmler will continue as director‑general of ZDF until 2032. At the Television Council meeting on Friday he received 48 of the 53 votes cast, far more than the 60 % majority required, and with no opponent on the ballot.
When the council considered the candidates there had originally been seven applications that met the formal criteria. However, only two members of the council proposed names for election – Himmler and journalist Floria‑Fee Fassihi. Fassihi withdrew her candidacy before the vote.
Himmler had to face strong criticism from the council over the recent AI scandal. NRW media minister Nathanael Liminski (CDU) warned that “images, if we do not have authentic originals, should not appear in the news broadcast”. He was referring to an episode of the “Heute‑Journal” that aired an AI‑generated fake video purporting to show a U.S. police operation. ZDF’s chief editor, Bettina Schausten, expressed regret that the incident “provides fodder for critics who accuse us”. She added that the mistake “could have been avoided, is terribly annoying, and we must do everything to prevent it from happening again”.
During the session the council presented a “catalog of measures”. The plan calls for the editorial office to systematically strengthen its understanding of artificial intelligence and to broaden verification skills across newsrooms. “Foreign material” will only be used according to a strict source hierarchy, and acceptance processes will be updated to meet digital challenges. ZDF also aims to promote a culture of error, where mistakes are transparently identified, consistently addressed, and corrected.
“As a public‑service broadcaster, we bear a special editorial and journalistic responsibility” Himmler said. The 55‑year‑old was first elected ZDF director‑general in 2021, winning the third round against ARD journalist Tina Hassel. His initial term ran until 14 March 2027, and he has now secured a five‑year extension that will extend his tenure a year before it expires.