Frank Plasberg gives his talk show "hard but fair", which runs on Monday evenings in the first ARD program.

After almost 22 years, Westdeutscher Rundfunk announced on Wednesday afternoon that Plasberg was quitting his job as a moderator.

His successor is Louis Klamroth.

Plasberg, it is said, will say goodbye to viewers at the end of November after a total of almost 750 broadcasts.

Louis Klamroth will present "hard but fair" for the first time in January 2023.

“When you've been traveling with a show for so long, you want it to continue to evolve.

And now is the right time for that,” said Frank Plasberg.

"How lucky I am to have been able to present 'tough but fair' for over 20 years.

For this I would like to thank the ARD and my home broadcaster WDR, a great team and of course the many guests, without whose willingness to argue hard but fairly the show would not be possible.

And what luck for the show that a colleague like Louis Klamroth took over in January.

In any case, I'm still enthusiastic on Monday evenings - as a spectator."

Louis Klamroth said: "'hard but fair' is one of the most established formats on German television and I am very pleased to be able to help shape this program in this prominent slot as a moderator from next year and to be able to lead it into the future.

I am convinced that strong and responsible public service broadcasting is essential, especially in these times.”

For more than 20 years, Plasberg's style has been to pose questions to politics from the everyday perspective of citizens.

When 'hard but fair' started, it was anything but usual,” added WDR program director Jörg Schönenborn.

He is grateful to Plasberg for this, "because his programs and his attitude have contributed to the credibility of our program".

With Louis Klamroth, "hard but fair" is entering a new era.

Klamroth is "a clever and sensitive observer of our society".

"Hard but fair" will "change and yet remain true to the most important principle: that politics meets reality in the show and has to explain and prove itself." The ARD program director Christine Strobl said that Plasberg had "hard but fair" with her “Developed by his team and shaped for 22 years.

Journalistic intuition and aggressiveness, quick reactions and wit characterize his unmistakable moderation style.” The concept of “hard but fair” is “unique on German television.

That's why you want to continue it - with Louis Klamroth.

In 2003, Frank Plasberg received the German Television Award in the category 'Best Information'.

The Adolf Grimme Prize and the Hanns Joachim Friedrichs Prize followed in 2005.

The Bavarian Television Prize followed in 2006 and the Bambi in 2008.

Plasberg moderated the program for almost 22 years, 15 of them on the first television and before that on WDR television.

From 1987 onwards, Frank Plasberg and Christine Westermann moderated the “Aktuelle Hour” on WDR television for 15 years.

Louis Klamroth moderated the political talk show "Klamroths Konter" on n-tv, for which he won the German Television Prize in 2018.

He also received attention with the “ProSieben Bundestag Election Show”.

In addition, Klamroth produced an election talk for ZDF with "Für & Wider". "hart aber fair" is a production of "Ansager & Schnipselmann" (producer: