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ZDF Appoints Shakuntala Banerjee and Alica Jung to Succeed Antje Pieper on 'auslandsjournal'

The handover begins mid-January as Pieper departs to lead ZDF's Rome bureau.

Overview

  • Banerjee will present her first edition on January 14, 2026, followed by Jung on January 21, 2026, marking the start of the dual-host format.
  • Pieper leaves the program after more than a decade to head ZDF’s foreign studio in Rome, a move confirmed by the broadcaster.
  • Banerjee has led ZDF’s politics and current affairs main editorial department since November 2024 and previously stood in on the show several times.
  • Jung has hosted ZDFheute live for four years and reported for ZDF’s news division, including stints in Rome and as the network’s first cross‑media correspondent in Washington.
  • Editor-in-chief Bettina Schausten said the appointments reflect the magazine’s established standards and mission; the program has aired since 1973.