ZDF PRESS RELEASE

“A strong team for a strong ZDF”

12 April 2022

Nadine Bilke and Bettina Schausten become new directors

Nadine Bilke will become the new programme director on 1 May 2022. Bettina Schausten will take over as Editor-in-Chief on 1 October. The Administrative Board today followed the proposals of Director-General Norbert Himmler. Deputy Editor-in-Chief will be Anne Gellinek, who will also be in charge of the main editorial division ‘news and current affairs’. Deputy Programme Director will be Frank Zervos, head of main editorial department ‘TV drama/TV series I’. With the new directors, three women and three men will form the Executive Board from October.

Norbert Himmler said after the decision: “Nadine Bilke, Bettina Schausten, Anne Gellinek and Frank Zervos – that is a strong team for a strong ZDF. The newly formed management team stands for excellent journalism and innovative programme management. Together we will drive forward the digital transformation of ZDF. Our goal remains: A high-quality and valuable offering for the whole of society.”

Together we will drive forward the digital transformation of ZDF. Our goal remains: A high-quality and valuable offering for the whole of society – Norbert Himmler

Nadine Bilke has been at the helm of ZDFneo since August 2018 and has built the channel into a top address for contemporary national and international series formats. With her many years of expertise in the field of digital media, she has developed not only modern forms of production and co-production but also, and above all, innovative distribution strategies – with the aim of reintroducing younger and net-savvy audiences to ZDF. Nadine Bilke: “During my time at ZDFneo, I worked with the team to take the ZDFneo TV brand beyond the linear. Today, television is more than a linear channel. It’s media library, it’s social media, it’s interaction. I look forward to continuing this strategic work together with my colleagues in the programme directorate.”

Bettina Schausten will take over from Peter Frey, who is retiring, on 1 October. She has led the morning news show ‘Morgenmagazin’, was head of the editorial division ‘domestic politics’ and headed ZDF’s Capital bureau. She has been deputy editor-in-chief and head of the main editorial Office ‘news and current affairs’ since March 2019. The audience knows her as a reporter and anchor from election programmes, specials and ZDF’s evening newscast ‘heute journal’. With her, a woman steps to the top of the editorial board who stands for independent journalism and has extensive management experience in leading large editorial departments. Schausten: “The main editorial office is well positioned and delivers quality journalism in news and current affairs from politics to sports. We are showing what we are capable of, especially in times like these. The current challenge is attracting even more younger people with a modern and high-quality information offer, also on the net. I am looking forward to it.”

The current challenge is attracting even more younger people with a modern and high-quality information offer, also on the net – Bettina Schausten

The future deputy programme director Frank Zervos started his career in the planning editorial department of ZDF and at ZDFneo after a training programme. From 2009 to 2012 he was managing-editor of ZDFneo. He then moved to the programme directorate in the same function. Since the beginning of 2018, he has been head of the main editorial department

‘TV drama/TV series, in charge for a large part of the fictional content. Well-known fictional series, the newcomer editorial team ‘Das kleine Fernsehspiel’, award-winning television films and multi-part series are in Frank Zervos’ area of responsibility (including ‘Der Palast’, ‘Die Wannseekonferenz’ and ‘Der Schwarm’).

Anne Gellinek has been reporting as a correspondent from Germany and abroad (including Düsseldorf, Berlin, Moscow) since her traineeship at ZDF. She has been head of the Brussels bureau since 2015. Anne Gellinek is a seasoned editor, reporter and political journalist. She will bring her top journalistic professionalism and many years of experience as a correspondent to her new responsibility as head of the editorial division ‘news and current affairs’ (including ZDF’s news brands ‘heute’, ‘heute journal’).

ZDF is a member of the Public Media Alliance

Original press release (German)