Young Political Platform Debuts, Featuring Louis Klamroth: "Press Forward"
The Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR), under ARD, is set to launch an exciting new streaming show titled "Press Play" on the 29th of September, 2025. This innovative political talk format, hosted by Louis Klamroth, will be exclusively available on the ARD Mediathek.
With a focus on engaging a younger audience, "Press Play" aims to bridge the gap between politics and pop culture. Each of the three half-hour episodes will delve into thought-provoking discussions, using clips from TV and the internet as a springboard for conversations about attitude, humor, and background.
The show's tagline, "Politics meets pop culture - a deep TV night with Louis Klamroth," encapsulates its unique approach. Klamroth invites prominent guests from politics and society to participate, encouraging genuine reactions that reveal more than rehearsed answers.
ARD executives are eager to give Klamroth more space, including beyond his political talk show "Hart aber fair." This new show is just one of several streaming formats currently being tested by Klamroth and ARD, as they strive to reach a younger audience with innovative formats.
The objective is to present talk about politics in a different way, offering an alternative kind of political talk for viewers who want to see and hear politics differently from traditional TV offerings. Notably, this shift in political discourse from the main ARD channel to the online Mediathek platform is aimed at better reaching younger viewers.
The existing talk show concept with "Miosga," "Maischberger," and "Hart aber fair" is to be extended by two years until the end of 2027. However, "Press Play" is set to provide a fresh and future-proof take on political discourse, making it a timely and relevant addition to the ARD Mediathek.
The approval of the broadcasting councils of WDR and NDR is subject to the success of this new format. If approved, viewers can look forward to three half-hour episodes of "Press Play" from September 29, 2025, ready to engage, entertain, and inform.
- Beyond the traditional TV offerings, the innovative political talk show "Press Play" on ARD Mediathek, launching on September 29, 2025, seeks to bridge the gap between politics and entertainment, using clips from TV and the internet to initiate discussions about attitude, humor, and background.
- In addition to covering general-news and politics, "Press Play" aims to attract a younger audience by presenting talk about politics in a fresh and future-proof manner, which, if approved by the broadcasting councils, will be available exclusively on ARD Mediathek.
