Thomas Gottschalk: opinion on the WDR to million-Gage – SPIEGEL ONLINE

The WDR has confirmed fee payments to Thomas Gottschalk after the ARD evening show “Gottschalk Live”: In the contract, the ARD subsidiary Degeto have finished with the production company Grundy Light Entertainment on the production of “Gottschalk Live”, was the continued payment of fees Moderator been included until the expiry of the contract the end of 2012. Since the program was broadcast in prime time advertising carried by the First, this was but financed exclusively by advertising revenue and non-fee revenue.

was “Gottschalk Live” started as a talk on the eve in January 2012; in April, the artistic directors and directors of the ARD had decided to discontinue the program due to low rates. The final episode aired in June 2012.

At the weekend the Documentary Association (AG Dok) of WDR director Tom Buhrow had requested clarification as to whether the station had paid for in advance remote show more than two million euros for nothing. The ARD had continued to broadcast 70 episodes. AG-Dok-chief Thomas Frickel According originally planned 144 shows. He was referring to internal documents on the conditions of the contract, according to which Gottschalk Also in premature From the format contracted the full fee of 4.6 million euros have seek assurances.

Fast change to “super talent”

About the concrete form of the contract, the WDR did not report: There is a fee has been agreed, “the from the perspective the time involved of its popularity and its market value as one of the most popular presenters in Germany and the exclusive cooperation took account of “. The amount of the fee is part of the secrecy clause in contracts with external producers.

The AG Doc had also criticized the fact that € 400,000 had been paid for two planned but unreacted evening shows. These payments denied the WDR now however from: In the course of negotiations although there had been considerations that Gottschalk was to receive an additional fee for the moderation of two additional primetime shows; these are but ultimately did not become the subject of a contract.

Instead, it was agreed that Gottschalk “Gottschalk Live” to the end of 2012 stood at a premature end of the moderation of other shows without any additional fees are available – a project that was not implemented. Had failed for lack of time “to develop appropriate show format and produce” a. In addition, Gottschalk was immediately after the end of “Gottschalk Live” entered as a juror at the RTL show “Supertalent”

Gottschalk had let already notified via a spokeswoman. “I have delivered everything ordered the ARD has. For the ARD has paid what was agreed upon in advance. ”