Broadcasters Celebrated For Good Works

Michael Hedges September 7, 2015 Follow on Twitter

Speaking out is what broadcasters do. Seizing the moment is at the heart of their work. These are important times, arguably a defining moment for a generation. Doing what’s right is cause for celebration.

The great and good of German radio broadcasting gathered last week in Hamburg for the annual Deutscher Radioprise gala. The event is typically light and happy, jointly sponsored by public and private broadcasters. They were joined by luminaries of the arts, entertainment and public life.

This year’s gala, broadcast on 67 stations across Germany, celebrated not only the art and craft of show hosts, journalists and producers but clear and timely support for refugees and rejection of xenophobia and racism. The evening’s fashion statement was a white long-sleeved shirt adorned with “refugees welcome,” worn by Funkhaus Europa show host Siham El Maimouni. She was awarded best female radio presenter. “These days, it takes people who say the right thing - not only on the radio,” said 1Live’s Thorsten Schorn, accepting award for best male radio presenter.

Funkhaus Europa is the international multi-cultural radio channel produced by public broadcasters Westdeutschen Rundfunk (WDR), Radio Bremen and Runkfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB). Multi-lingual Siham El Maimouni hosts the daily Süpermercado program. 1Live is WDR’s youth targeted channel.

German actress Iris Berben and rock musician Udo Lindenberg were on-hand to greet award winners and offer poignant words. "It is important to fight the people of this country who spread fear with their dull brutal slogans", said Ms Berben. “Not the refugees, not the foreigners, not the Jews and not the gays should fear getting into our country. The mob needs to get scared, not the refugees.”

“This German Republic is becoming real colorful,” said Lindenberg. “There are a few dark spots but we’re getting there.”

The best show award was presented to Stefan Schwabeneder and Stefan Kreutzer - Die Stefans - of Bavarian public channel BR Bayern 3. After the attacks last year on French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo they turned their own satire to highlight inter-religious issues with the feature “Three faiths, a sense of humor.” The Radioprise jury called it “a show worth hearing, with humor and flair to a sensitive subject,” quoted radiowoche.de (September 3). Bayern 3 is BR’s youth-targeted channel.

Berlin station 105’5 Spreeradio reporters Yvonne Fricke and Toni Schmitt were honored for their feature series “Gangs - Human Lives In Trade” that explored criminal gangs who exploit refugees, the first news award for a private sector radio broadcaster. The duo invested a year tracing the routes and schemes used by people traffickers. The award “underlines that the private radio stations have a good nose for the pressing issues of our time,” said RTL Radio Center Berlin Managing Director Stephan Schmitter in a statement.

Congratulating the feature news award winners former Christian Democratic Union (CDU) party Heiner Geissler noted that “Germany is making a very good humanitarian presentation at this time. It’s seen all over the world. This is the real Germany - not the radical right-wing criminals.” Herr Geissler was Minister for Youth, Family and Health in the 1980’s. “The money we have on earth is like dirt,” he added. “Only the wrong people have it.”

Apart from the Deutscher Radioprise three privately owned stations in the central German state of Thuringia launched an on-air campaign to thank “people, companies, institutions and organizations that help refugees,” according to a joint press release from Antenne Thuringen, LandesWelle Thüringen and Radio Top 40, and “to show people that Thuringia is cosmopolitan and warm.” Antenne Thuringen and Radio Top 40 are part owned by RTL Group. LandesWelle Thüringen is part owned by Moira Rundfunk.

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