Norbert Himmler re-elected as Director General of ZDF

Himmler, who has headed ZDF since 2022, was confirmed in the role following a vote at a meeting of the ZDF broadcasting council.

Of the 53 council members present, 48 voted for Norbert Himmler. There were three votes against and two abstentions.

The 55-year-old was the sole candidate. His opponent, Journalist Floria Fee Fassihi, withdrew her candidacy. Himmler's new term begins this month and lasts five years.

Himmler joined the broadcaster as a freelancer in the news department in 1997 and later worked as Programme Director at ZDF – responsible for fiction, music, comedy, children, culture, history, and science – until his appointment as Director General.

The Chairwoman of the council, Gerda Hasselfeldt, welcomed the vote for Himmler: "The re-election underscores the Broadcasting Council's confidence in his leadership and his clear strategic direction for ZDF. In recent years, Norbert Himmler has shaped ZDF with foresight and a great sense of responsibility."

Himmler said: "I thank the members of the Broadcasting Council for the trust they have placed in me. Over the past four years, we in management, together with the staff, have set an important course for the future of ZDF. Today I presented my goals and plans for the coming years. To implement these in challenging times, we will continue to need the critical support and backing of the Broadcasting Council and the Administrative Board. I will do my part to ensure that ZDF is ideally positioned for the challenges of the digital future."

ZDF recorded an average viewership of around 3.2 million and a 23.3% market share across its coverage of the 2026 Winter Olympics. Discover more here.