PRESS RELEASE

ARD joins the Public Media Alliance

21 January 2026
PMA looks forward to collaborating with ARD on global public media challenges such as prominence and discoverability. 
The ARD logo on a white building with a transmission tower on top.
ARD Program Directorate in Munich, exterior facade with ARD logo and transmission tower. Credit: ARD/Herby Sachs

The Public Media Alliance is proud to welcome Germany’s ARD to our global association of public service media organisations. 

The Association of Public Broadcasting Corporations in Germany (ARD) comprises nine regional public broadcasters. While each broadcaster controls its own regional channel, ARD also operates Das Erste – a national informational and entertainment channel – as well as digital news brands, and audiovisual streaming services. 

PMA and ARD will collaborate to focus on global challenges facing public service media, such as prominence and discoverability, in an era of market disruption and disinformation. Public service media play a vital role in providing quality, trusted and fact-based news and information to audiences. Along with fellow members, PMA and ARD will endeavour to promote this role, and the urgent need for public media content to remain widely accessible and easy for audiences to find. 

In addition, Dr Katja Wildermuth, representing ARD will also join the Global Task Force for public media (GTF) – an industry-led initiative formed to develop a single, strong voice on the issues and challenges facing public media worldwide. With PMA as its Secretariat, the GTF brings together public media leaders from around the world to defend public media values and address shared political and societal challenges on a global scale.

ARD is the latest public media organisation to join PMA, following Spain’s RTVE in December last year. As a core member, ARD will be entitled to receive the benefits exclusive to members. These include access to member-only events, our Global Grants scheme, bespoke international relations support, and our worldwide network of public media colleagues, and both training and promotional opportunities.

It’s a challenging time for many public service media organisations around the world and PMA welcomes the support ARD’s membership brings to the alliance and our mission to support, connect, and advocate for public service media and their role in underpinning informed democracies.

As Europe’s largest public broadcaster, ARD will bring extensive experience and expertise to PMA’s membership. We look forward to working together to support the core values of public media worldwide and to connect these vital democratic organisations with best practices, insights and opportunities for knowledge exchange. 

“Public service media face similar challenges across the globe: disinformation, growing political pressure and changing audience habits. By joining the Public Media Alliance and the Global Task Force for Public Media, ARD reaffirms its commitment to strong, independent journalism, strengthening international cooperation, sharing expertise across borders, and working with global partners to ensure trusted public media content remains accessible and relevant in a rapidly changing world.”

– Dr Katja Wildermuth, BR Director General

“At a time of rapid change and flux, it is essential that public service media of all sizes stand together to ensure they remain the public’s go-to source for trusted news and information. This is why I’m delighted to welcome ARD to the Public Media Alliance, bringing with them invaluable experience to our global network. Together we will champion the values of public service media and tackle shared challenges such as disinformation, prominence, and discoverability in an increasingly complex media landscape. I thoroughly look forward to working with them and deeply value their support.”

– Kristian Porter, CEO, Public Media Alliance

About ARD

ARD is the association of Germany’s nine regional public broadcasters, serving Germany’s 16 federal states. Since 1950, its members have collaborated to better fulfil their shared responsibilities. 

Home to over 22,000 employees, nine regional TV channels and producing over 50 radio channels by regional broadcasting stations, ARD is directly funded and governed by the public. Its primary income source is collected through a mandatory household fee. 

The responsibility to serve society guides ARD’s work. Through eight values of independence, participation, regionality, quality, value creation, innovation, responsibility and plurality, ARD seeks to fulfill their democratic, social and cultural mission in the most effective way. 

About PMA

The Public Media Alliance is a global association of public service media organisations, regulators, and other public media stakeholders, with a mission to connect, support and advocate for public service media. PMA fulfils its mission by providing reporting on key public media issues, training, research and international relations support.  

PMA’s membership is split between Members, and Affiliate Members – organisations that are part of the wider public media ecosystem such as independent regulators, academic institutions and fellow civil society organisations. PMA has over fifty core members from across six continents, including the BBC (UK), 3Cat (Catalonia), PTS (Taiwan), CBC/Radio-Canada, RNZ (New Zealand), and GBC (Ghana).

Featured image: ARD Capital Studio. A joint facility of the nine regional broadcasting corporations of the ARD. News reports on federal politics are produced here. Credit: ARD Capital Studio/Wolfgang Scholvien

For more information, please contact Yusra Malik, Communications Officer: yusra@publicmediaalliance.org
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