RTL with a new studio in Cologne-Deutz – the most modern in Europe
RTL is rediscovering itself and is giving Cologne a new landmark, which is more likely to be admired on TV. Peter Kloeppel and Katja Burkard are already looking forward to it: RTL’s news no longer comes from a studio that seems completely artificial, but from a “real set”. It starts on Sunday evening.
Some TV news seems to come from an artificial world, looks like science fiction. “Fiction” is probably the last thing TV news wants to be associated with. Many senders are now saying goodbye to an all too unreal appearance. This Sunday (September 4th, 6:45 p.m. “RTL aktuell”), RTL is putting its new 360-degree real-set studio into operation at its headquarters on the Rhine in Cologne.
The news presentation is now becoming more approachable, emphasizes RTL. “Four hanging, moveable and rotatable LED walls act as space-shaping image levels for the media presentation and can be combined to form seamless video surfaces up to 12 meters wide if required.”
A large video surface also dominates the look of the competition from ARD’s “Tagesschau” and “Tagesthemen”. In Hamburg at the responsible NDR, however, the rear projection wall is semicircular. In April 2021, the broadcaster Welt (formerly N24) in Berlin moved into its brand new real studio in the new Axel Springer building designed by star architect Rem Koolhaas.
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RTL News Managing Director Stephan Schmitter says about the new 445 square meters in Cologne-Deutz: “The studio is the most modern that currently exists in Europe.” Presenter Peter Kloeppel says he is looking forward to more freedom of movement. After many years in a green box with virtual backgrounds, there are now real elements, including LED screens. “We don’t have to constantly look at a monitor to check where we are and what we’re showing.” This is very helpful with graphics and animations.
“Punkt 12” moderator Katja Burkard also emphasizes: “I am particularly pleased that we are getting a so-called ‘real set’ with the move away from the green screen. We strive for truthfulness every day, and that goes with the fact that our studio is approachable and realistic.”
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How TV stations stage their news programs is a question of technology and the zeitgeist. There is currently a global trend towards authenticity after the hype surrounding simulated studio sets. The media group ProSiebenSat.1 is also currently expanding its location in Unterföhring near Munich. On the new campus, which is scheduled for completion in 2024, own news will also be produced again.
A lot has happened since then. Today, established media are more often affected by the fear of disinformation and a certain basic skepticism among the population. If it then looks detached and artificial on TV, the distance between TV makers and viewers can increase. Especially in contrast to dubious offers on the Internet, television stations are therefore focusing even more on letting familiar faces appear in an environment that inspires trust.
RTL is now following a year later with the long-announced new studio. The news channel ntv, which belongs to the broadcasting group, is still broadcasting from its green screen studio. The news and magazine programs “Punkt 6”, “Punkt 7”, “Punkt 8”, “Punkt 12” as well as “RTL Aktuell” and “RTL Nachtjournal” will in future come from the multifunctional studio. “RTL Direkt” will continue to be produced not on the Rhine, but in Berlin.
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The new Cologne studio, which can be adapted to the lighting technology of the time of day and also to changing news situations, was developed with the design studio “Veech x Veech”. According to RTL, the architects have already worked for the Arabic news broadcaster Al Jazeera in Doha/Qatar, the Bulgarian broadcaster BTV and Sky News in London and in Vienna for Austrian television ORF.
dpa