Overview

• Ruhs will no longer present NDR-produced editions of the BR/NDR series, while remaining on the moderation team for BR-produced episodes.
• Program director Frank Beckmann rejected “cancel culture” accusations as absurd and said the series will continue with more episodes and several presenters.
• Union politicians including Daniel Günther, Markus Söder and Carsten Linnemann denounced the move, with Linnemann proposing to freeze the broadcasting fee; Left leader Heidi Reichinnek also called pressure-driven programming decisions problematic.
• Roughly 250 NDR employees had distanced themselves from the format after its migration episode, which critics described as one-sided, even as a cited survey reported 63% of viewers rated the show very positively.
• ARD presenter Georg Restle denied being a behind-the-scenes driver of the decision and argued that someone like Ruhs should be on public TV, underscoring a wider debate over impartiality and pluralism in public broadcasting.