Berlin, Mar. 29, (dpa/GNA) - German media has been gearing up for weeks for Britain’s new king, Charles III, to arrive in Berlin on his first state visit abroad as monarch.
Public television and radio broadcasters are leading the way, enlisting experts and planning special formats, and commercial outlets are joining the media frenzy.
German reporters will accompany the royal couple for each step of their visit in the capital and outside Berlin.
The top national public broadcaster, ARD, will cover the first part of the state visit on Wednesday in a special broadcast, anchored by the head of the ARD studio in London, Annette Dittert.
ZDF, Germany’s second national public broadcaster, is bringing viewers an “ZDF special: King Charles III in Germany.” Guests on the set will include the head of ZDF’s London studio, Hilke Petersen, and European royals expert Julia Melchior.
Public service broadcaster Phoenix will be there live when Charles addresses the Bundestag, while the broadcaster will show a summary of the rest of day’s royal programme in Berlin and Brandenburg in the early evening.
RBB, the regional broadcaster for Berlin and the state of Brandenburg has scheduled a special programme for Thursday evening, while NDR, the public broadcaster in northern Germany, will concentrate on the royal couple’s visit to Hamburg on Friday.
Commercial media are also planning extensive coverage:
WELT TV: the offshoot of the conservative daily Die Welt will report live all three days. Welt TV reporters Alina Quast and Laura Kipfelsberger will accompany the royal couple. Aristocratic expert Gloria von Thurn und Taxis and a connoisseur of all things British, Arndt Striegler, will also be weighing in regularly.
RTL: RTL will broadcast an extended edition of its lunchtime journal on Wednesday to mark the royal visit, and two other specials on Wednesday afternoon and on Thursday morning.
NTV: The commercial 24-hour news channel plans regular reports on the royal couple’s progress, and has scheduled a live broadcast, “Military Honours for Charles and Camilla” on Wednesday afternoon.
PROSIEBEN/SAT.1: TV stations ProSieben and Sat.1 will incorporate the topic into their regular news programmes and magazine formats.
GNA