What began in 2021 as the first success of our campaign is still running today: RTL’s “Klima Update” has been reporting regularly on the climate crisis for over five years. More than 470 episodes on, one thing is clear – there is a demand for good climate coverage, and it is here to stay.
Sometimes the impact isn’t immediately apparent, but only becomes clear in hindsight. RTL’s ‘Klima Update’ is a case in point: what began five years ago as a direct response to our demands is now an integral part of RTL’s schedule – and proof that a climate programme can be a lasting success on German television during prime time.
The beginning: An open letter makes an impression
At the end of March 2021, together with around 180 prominent figures from the worlds of science, culture and the media, we published an open letter to Tom Buhrow, then Chairman of ARD. Our demand: a regular, scientifically sound and accessible programme on climate change to be broadcast at prime time. Just a few days later, the first concrete response arrived – though not from the ARD, but from RTL. The broadcaster signalled an interest in producing its own climate programme and entered into discussions with us.
“Our organisation, KLIMA° vor acht, set out to improve climate coverage on German television and thereby reach as many people as possible. That is why it is a great success for us and our supporters that RTL is now the first television channel to respond to our call,” said Michael Flammer, then chairman of KLIMA° vor acht e.V.
From exchange to programme
This collaboration soon developed into something more: the ‘Climate Update’ first went on air on 8 July 2021 – following ‘RTL Aktuell’, on Thursdays and Saturdays, presented by Christian Häckl and Bernd Fuchs. The programme was developed in partnership with GEO magazine and us. In 2022, the RTL weather editorial team was even nominated for the Grimme Prize in the ‘Information & Culture’ category for the programme’s concept.
Five years on: Still on RTL
And today, a good five years after that first contact? The “Klima Update” continues to air twice a week – now on its 470th episode and counting. It is broadcast immediately after “RTL Aktuell”, a slot that maximises its reach. The programme has become a fixed, scheduled part of the schedule – not just a stopgap that will disappear at the first opportunity.
The “Climate Update” is now complemented by the monthly “Climate Update Special” on ntv: an in-depth programme lasting around twelve minutes, presented by Clara Pfeffer and Maik Meuser, produced in collaboration with GEO, Stern and wetter.de.
What this means for us
The “Climate Update” proves something we’ve been saying since we were founded: prime-time climate coverage finds its audience – and it sticks around if given the chance. Five years, several hundred episodes and a dedicated special format later, this is no longer a coincidence, but proof of demand.
That is precisely our argument to the public-service broadcasting organisations: if a commercial broadcaster can keep a climate programme in its schedule in the long term, there is no reason why ARD should not also establish a similar programme before the ‘Tagesschau’ – just as we have been calling for from the outset. With our campaign ‘KLIMA° vor acht’, we are giving this demand new momentum. We are keen to see how things develop!