How German Public TV And Public Forums 'Work'

 Between ARD/ZDF (Channel 1/2)....they probably have around 8 public forum programs per week....mostly live....sometimes taped.  The sub-networks (like BR or HR)...might have two or three per month....mostly geared toward their state (not the nation).

Basic formula?  You have a moderator, and a guest panel (usually four folks).  The Monday night ARD forum will include 6 folks....geared mostly to 3 folks supporting X and 3 folks opposing X.

For a long while...the formats were geared toward one single 'path'....three guests slamming one single guest who supported X.

If you asked about viewing numbers?  Well....most of these come on at 10 PM or later....so that hinders the viewing numbers to some degree.

For a long while....if you consider the 30-odd forums per month....roughly 20 would dwindle on one topic, and folks started to complain  ('it ain't right to overly demonize things'). The national board managing public TV....told the managers....you gotta talk about other topics.

Do CDU and SPD politicians get the bulk of invites?  Well....I'd say out of the  30-odd forums per month....they each probably get 50-percent of the invites.  Greens and Linke might get 10-percent of the invites.  AfD?  Maybe five invites out of the entire year.

The stumbling points?  Occasionally, they have audience participation episodes....you end up with a regular non-VIP who grasps the topic and blasts through the political BS, and narrative stuff.  

I won't say much critical over the forums...other than when they put up some statistical polling graphic....it might be one-sided or offered with a odd question. 

Yeah, I'm mostly pro-public forum....they put up a fair amount of argument  both ways, and it might be helpful for folks to understand how screwed-up the system really is.  

The odd thing I leave you with....all the gain for AfD in the past ten years?  It was mostly all without them being on the public forums.  Think about that for a minute....the SPD and CDU folks have had tons of time explain their 'brand', and it apparently has not helped much at all.