ORF in Transition: Successful Format 'The Conversation' Enthralls, While 'ZIB Talk' Searches for Its Path
Let's start with the good news. The format "Das Gespräch", which usually has fewer guests and therefore perhaps allows for deeper insights, has apparently hit the mark. It performed significantly better than its predecessor "Im Zentrum". The viewer numbers were pleasantly high. More people tuned in to follow the debates. This shows that the idea behind "Das Gespräch" has worked and the audience was ready for something new, perhaps more focused. A clear plus for ORF and its new format.
The rocky start of "ZIB Talk"
But not everything went smoothly from the start. "ZIB Talk" had a harder time. Do you remember the back and forth with the broadcast slots or the breaks in between? This program confusion probably didn't help the format. The initial ratings were, to be honest, not that impressive. It seemed as if "ZIB Talk" was still searching for its place and the right form – a kind of ongoing construction site at the beginning. The start was definitely rocky.
Mixed feelings about the ratings
When you take stock, you see a double-edged picture. ORF itself speaks of an overall pleasing balance for the new discussion formats and mentions "significant reach". And yes, due to the success of "Das Gespräch", this is also true. But one must also be honest: The initial difficulties of "ZIB Talk" were real and showed in the ratings. So it is not *the* one big success for both formats equally, but rather a full success for one and a format that still needs to establish itself.
Why this is important
Political debates on television reach many people. They shape opinions and inform. That a public broadcaster like ORF experiments here and tries to reach the audience with new formats is important. But it also shows how difficult it is to compete with political content on Sunday evenings in today's media landscape. Viewers have many alternatives.
Conclusion
"Das Gespräch" has proven to be a ratings hit and a worthy, even better successor to "Im Zentrum". "ZIB Talk", on the other hand, had a more difficult start and still needs to find its place. The new ORF ZIB Talk landscape is thus a mix of success and construction site. It remains exciting to see how "ZIB Talk" will develop further.
This article has been automatically translated, read the original article here.