Due to the Ukraine crisis, many TV and radio stations are changing their programs at short notice. This also applies to carnival reporting. Local media react differently.
Cologne – Many TV stations had already changed their program in the morning due to the escalating Ukraine conflict. Several radio stations also responded. Above all, the topic of carnival and war is a balancing act for local media. The street carnival started this Thursday in Cologne.
The local station Radio Köln changed its program on Thursday morning and has not broadcast carnival music since 8 a.m. The public radio station WDR 4 also reacted and played pop instead of mood music. WDR television, on the other hand, continued to focus on carnival – with the (non-disguised) moderators clearly naming the problem.
Carnival and the Ukraine conflict: the media adjust their programs
“Of course we asked ourselves: Can that go together – war and carnival,” said presenter Sabine Wieseler on the live show “Weiber Live” on Weiberfastnacht morning. They came to the conclusion: “Yes, we’ll make an offer,” says Wieseler. “We are simply there for you, also for your feelings,” added moderator Anna Planken to the viewers. “It doesn’t help if we crawl under the covers,” says Planken. It’s a bad day, but that’s why you want to be there for the viewers – who should report their mixed feelings via email and WhatsApp. The seven-hour show will always be about Ukraine.
The public broadcaster WDR 4 meanwhile changed its music program in the morning, which was announced under the motto “Carnival to the power of 4”. Instead, oldies, among other things, were played. A moderator justified the change with the attack on Ukraine. A WDR spokeswoman pointed out that television would extend the “WDR Aktuell” editions at 12.45 p.m. and 4 p.m. The WDR television started the planned live route to the carnival at 11 a.m., but will adapt the tonality to the current situation. “In its character, the program will reflect the ambivalence of the situation and inform about further developments.”
Ukraine crisis: Radio Cologne stops carnival music – TV continues to broadcast
The private broadcaster Radio Köln had already changed its program in the morning. “We cannot report on the war and broadcast carnival music around it,” said editor-in-chief Claudia Schall of the German Press Agency. According to its own statements, Radio Köln had also planned to play carnival music from 6 a.m. to midnight. The local station in Cologne is part of the Radio NRW association. Its broadcasters have also changed their news program. In the morning there should be a single-topic broadcast on the attack on Ukraine, followed by hourly updates, according to a spokeswoman. The comedy blocks were also initially canceled until 4 p.m.
But the program was not only adapted to the carnival reporting. Many other TV stations such as ARD and RTL also reacted. The private broadcaster RTL showed a special program in cooperation with N-TV in the morning, as reported by the editorial network Germany (RND). Furthermore, the public TV broadcasters such as ARD also reacted. In the first, a “Tagesschau Extra” was included in the program. ZDF extended its morning magazine in the morning, as the broadcaster announced. (svw with material from dpa)
The reactions to the escalation of the Ukraine crisis* are also different among the population, as can be seen in Kassel, for example. *hna.de is an offer from IPPEN.MEDIA.
