German public broadcaster WDR stops 76 programs and offers in a first step, among them "Frau tv", "Studio M" and WDR 4's "Satire am Sonntag", on the way to cutting its portfolio from about 600 offers to 300 by 2030, up to 100 of them newly developed. Until 2030 it will leave every third post freed up by retirement unfilled, move about 20% of posts in classic production into technology-oriented work, and shrink its office and production space by about 100,000 square meters by the end of 2028 compared with 2017. The broadcaster, which aims to save 20% of its previous spending by 2036, says media use is changing fast, its funding is uncertain and its costs are rising; the next round of program decisions comes in spring 2027.
Germany's WDR Cuts 76 Programs and Leaves Every Third Retiree's Job Empty
