At ARD and ZDF, the discrepancy between talking and acting is often huge, and the obvious is not at all in sight.

The broadcasters complain about a lack of money, but take in record sums from the broadcasting fee.

They vow to give themselves leaner structures and create synergies, just as the fee commission KEF and media policy have been demanding of them for ages - and then?

Then ARD and ZDF add the rind to the bacon and do everything twice or three times, preferably in competition with each other.

The latest example is the news broadcaster, to which ARD wants to expand the Tagesschau24 channel.

ARD Chairwoman Patricia Schlesinger and NDR Director General Joachim Knuth have expressed their enthusiasm here (FAZ, February 17).

ZDF is not so enthusiastic about the ride, but with ZDFinfo they have had their own information documentary channel for a long time.

From one side of the street to the other

That leaves Phoenix, the community broadcaster, the "event and documentary channel", which is just 25 years old.

Its managing directors Eva Lindenau and Michaela Kolster announce groundbreaking news for the anniversary: ​​The station is moving within Bonn – from the former ZDF capital city studio to a wing of the Schürmann building where Deutsche Welle is based.

The colleagues could do the move on foot, they move to the other side of the street, so to speak.

The change of location is still stretched out until mid-2024. What else?

Phoenix "does not have to differentiate itself" from the ARD broadcaster Tagesschau24, said ZDF director Norbert Himmler on Monday afternoon, as reported by the Evangelical Press Service (epd).

"ARD stands by Phoenix," said WDR director Tom Buhrow.

Oh yes?

Does she?

Phoenix will concentrate on "plannable" events, said ARD chairwoman Patricia Schlesinger at this point.

The unplanned current events are not happening at Phoenix.

On Tuesday morning, half a day after the Phoenix perseverance press conference, ARD announced that it was creating a "theme world of daily news" in the media library.

After all, programs from Phoenix are stuffed into them.

We are expecting the ZDF announcement at any moment: Now even more "heute" and "heute-journal"!

The main thing is that the broadcasters don't do anything together.

Just like the Phoenix anniversary channel.

They're packing boxes now.