Overview
- An ARD table posted online on October 6 details 2024 base salaries, showing former WDR chief Tom Buhrow at €427,900, up from €413,000 in 2023.
- The disclosures separate base pay from extras, with Buhrow receiving €21,900 in taxable benefits and ZDF director-general Norbert Himmler at €382,560 plus €8,617 in benefits.
- SWR’s Kai Gniffke earned €392,530, NDR’s Joachim Knuth €360,371, and BR’s Katja Wildermuth €340,267, with several figures matching prior-year levels.
- Leadership changes contextualize the numbers: Buhrow exited WDR at end‑2024, Katrin Vernau now leads on €348,000 annually, and Hendrik Lünenborg took over the NDR in September 2025.
- ARD also lists senior roles such as Program Director Christine Strobl at €284,827 and includes Deutsche Welle’s Peter Limbourg at €290,000, noting that base pay excludes additional allowances and perks.