The members of the Media Commission represent North Rhine-Westphalia’s society. It advocates for all the relevant social groups and institutions. For example, key decisions cannot be taken by its Director alone. The Director requires the approval of the Commission for instance for resolutions relating to new projects, issuing broadcasting licences or new job openings at

In this context, the basic thought is: Whenever there is a public authority with specific duties (including social responsibilities) and whenever the public finances this work by means of a public licence fee, the public must also be able to exercise influence on the decisions being made relating to using this funding and carrying out this important role. This influence is exerted via the members of the Media Commission.

Who is the Media Commission?

The Media Commission of the Media Authority of North Rhine-Westphalia comprises 41 members (and a corresponding number of deputies). Eight members are appointed by North Rhine-Westphalia’s state parliament, the Landtag. Both the full members and their deputies serve for a six-year term.

Prof. Dr. Werner Schwaderlapp is the Chair of the Media Commission, and Christiane Bertels-Heering acts as his deputy.

Profile of Prof. Dr. Werner Schwaderlapp

since 2014:
Chairman of the Media Commission of the Media Authority of North Rhine-Westphalia and Chairman of the Supervisory Board of the Film- und Medienstiftung NRW
since 2018:
Chairman of the Committee Chairperson Conference (GVK)
since 2018:
Member of the Medien-Digital-Land NRW Advisory Board of the state government of North Rhine-Westphalia
2003 to present:
Professor for Media Management
Co-Founder of the Cologne Hochschule Fresenius University of Applied Sciences and its Media Management Institute
1998 to 2003:
Chairman of the Board at Helkon Media AG,
CEO at Endemol Entertainment Productions GmbH Cologne and subsequently the CEO at Endemol Deutschland Holding GmbH
1993 to 1998:
Founding Director of ZDF Enterprises GmbH
1993:
Graduate of the Advanced Management Programs at the Harvard Business School
1978 to 1993:
Division Manager for Programming Planning at ZDF, before that creation of the Corporate Planning Department and Assistant to the ZDF Director of Programming
Member of the Media Committee of the Cologne Chamber of Commerce and Industry and co-founder of “Web de Cologne e. V.“ (industry network for the internet economy in the Cologne metro area)

The Media Commission has established the following five committees to prepare its rulings:

COMMITTEE FOR MEDIA ORIENTATION AND PARTICIPATION

The Committee for Media Orientation and Participation deals with the topics of media literacy (e.g. Media Scouts NRW, ZEBRA, klicksafe, Internet ABCs), prevention (e.g. cybermobbing and grooming), and participation (e.g. NRWision, Medienbox NRW).

COMMITTEE FOR MEDIA PLURALITY AND MEDIA ACCESS

This committee focuses on issues including regulation relating to access, retrievability, and the safeguarding of plurality, as well as the promotion of diversity in the office and new needs for regulation due to media development and general media economic trends

COMMITTEE FOR PROGRAMMING OVERSIGHT AND QUALITY

The Committee for Programming Oversight and Quality handles topics including the approval of operators, the allocation of capacities, and the oversight of broadcasting and telemedia content. It supports the efforts of the Commission on Licensing and Supervision (ZAK) and the Commission for the Protection of Minors in the Media (KJM) while monitoring the development of programming quality. This committee places a particular focus on the quality and competitive position of local radio in NRW.

COMMITTEE FOR INTERNAL TRAINING AND RESEARCH COORDINATION

The Committee for Internal Training and Research Coordination deals with planning the content for employee training at the Media Commission and conducting these training measures. In addition, it provides an overview and suggestions for research projects.

COMMITTEE FOR BUDGET AND FINANCE

This committee deals with the budget and annual accounting, financial planning, and those financial measures which are based on recommendations from the respective committees and which require approval.