Zimmer began the interview – a double interview with him and his public-service counterpart Joachim Knuth, radio director at the NDR – by confirming that commercial radio and public-service radio have been working together in the Radiozentrale for some time now. “It’s an organisation dedicated to marketing the gene ‘contemporary radio’,” explains Zimmer. “All the occasional differences that we have on media policy issues aside, there is great agreement between public-service and commercial radio when it comes to genre marketing.” For instance, the organisation strives to emphasise the importance of radio as a medium and draw attention to its excellent reach, which often goes unnoticed. “We make a lot happen, but are frequently not perceived as doing so by the public,” says Zimmer. Radiozentrale is working to change this.
The Radiozentrale also served as the bridge between commercial radio and the German Radio Award, which is administered and organised by public service as well as commercial stations. “We discuss and plan everything together, and jointly put it into practice, too,” so Zimmer. “As for the awards, both sides will be able to win in any of the categories. We didn’t construct any artificial categories, but ones that reflect contemporary radio. The protagonists and the listeners can identify with them.” Each station can submit three entries for the German Radio Awards. In the middle of August, a judging panel appointed by the Grimme Institute will shortlist three finalists per category. The awards themselves will be presented on 17 September in Hamburg.
Asked about the competition presented by the Internet, Gert Zimmer and Joachim Knuth are in agreement: “Radio use has actually increased recently,” beams Zimmer. Knuth adds: “Your question suggests that we’d already been written off. The opposite is the case. We are, in fact, alive and well.” This is true for commercial and public-service stations alike. Zimmer continues: “We look at how we can expand and enhance our programming in the online realm – video, extra information, service, comedy, interactive use options. Social communities play a big role, too.”