The Media Commission of the Media Authority of North Rhine-Westphalia
The members of the Media Commission are representative of society in North Rhine-Westphalia. All relevant social groups and institutions are represented on the commission. As is the case with the WDR, for example, important decisions cannot be made solely by the director—or, in the case of the WDR, by the general director. For instance, the director needs the commission’s approval for decisions regarding new projects, the awarding of broadcasting licenses, or new positions at the Media Authority.
Who is the Media Commission?
The Media Commission of the State Media Authority of North Rhine-Westphalia consists of 40 members (and a corresponding number of alternates). These are primarily representatives of socially relevant groups; eight members are appointed by the state parliament, and one member who is not affiliated with any organization is elected by the Media Commission. The members of the Media Commission serve in an honorary capacity. The term of office for regular members and their alternates is five years. The term of the current Media Commission ends in November 2026.
The chair of the Media Commission is Prof. Dr. Werner Schwaderlapp; his deputy is Andrea Stullich, Member of the State Parliament.
Chairman of the Media Commission
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 Committees
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.