Dieter Stolte(1934-2023)
Stolte spent his school years and youth in Cologne, Berlin, Saarbrücken, Thuringia, Saxony and Worms. After graduating from high school in Worms, Stolte studied philosophy, history and German studies at the universities of Tübingen and Mainz from 1955 to 1961. During his studies he began to gain his first professional experience in radio and the press as a freelancer. He also became active in the RCDS student association, which is close to the CDU. Stolte joined Saarland Radio in 1961, where he worked as head of the science department until 1962. In the same year he moved to ZDF in Mainz, where he initially served as personal assistant to the director, Karl Holzamer, until 1967.
Stolte was then appointed head of the main program planning department. He held this position until 1973. Stolte also worked in academic teaching on the side: from 1968 to 1970 he held a teaching position at the University of Television and Film in Munich. After an interlude at Südwestfunk Baden-Baden, where he was television director and deputy director from 1973 to 1976, Stolte was reappointed to ZDF in 1976 as program director. The journalist finally became director of his "house station" in 1982. Stolte was confirmed as head of Second German Television for four terms of office, meaning he led ZDF for a total of two decades. In this role, Stolte strengthened ZDF's competitiveness against the rapidly increasing competition from private TV providers.
Stolte is committed to adjusting broadcasting fees and liberalizing advertising times. He also initiated a rigorous austerity program. ZDF went online in mid-1996, and the station's Internet offering has been steadily expanded since then. In international cooperation, Stolte created the cable and satellite channel 3sat with the Austrian (ORF) and Swiss broadcasters (SRG), which from then on formed the cultural mainstay of the second German television channel. In addition, Stolte continued to be active academically: from 1980 he was professor of media theory and media practice at the University of Music and Theater in Hamburg. After leaving the position of ZDF director, Stolte was appointed editor of the two daily newspapers of the Axel Springer publishing house "Die Welt" and "Berliner Morgenpost" in April 2002.
In 2001 he was awarded the Robert Geißendorfer Prize. In 2002 he received the Ring of Honor from the city of Mainz. Shortly before his 70th birthday, the restless journalist took over the chairmanship of the Friends of the German Historical Museum in Berlin in May 2004. A month later, Stolte also joined the board of the Axel Springer Foundation. Stolte published numerous publications on media theoretical issues. He was represented on the supervisory boards and executive boards of several German and European media companies. After the merger of Deutschlandfunk, RIAS Berlin and DS Kultur to form DeutschlandRadio Berlin, Stolte, who temporarily also served as interim director of the new broadcaster, chaired the administrative board there from 1994 to 1999.
Stolte, who is himself the founder and chairman of the general meeting of the German Television Prize, has been awarded, among other things, the Federal Cross of Merit, First Class (1983) and numerous, including international, media awards such as the International Emmy Directorate Award from the Academy of Television Art & Sciences in New York (1997). excellent. In 1991 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Mainz and in 1994 an honorary professorship at the University of Hamburg.
Stolte is married to Petra née Grüttner and has a daughter.
Stolte was then appointed head of the main program planning department. He held this position until 1973. Stolte also worked in academic teaching on the side: from 1968 to 1970 he held a teaching position at the University of Television and Film in Munich. After an interlude at Südwestfunk Baden-Baden, where he was television director and deputy director from 1973 to 1976, Stolte was reappointed to ZDF in 1976 as program director. The journalist finally became director of his "house station" in 1982. Stolte was confirmed as head of Second German Television for four terms of office, meaning he led ZDF for a total of two decades. In this role, Stolte strengthened ZDF's competitiveness against the rapidly increasing competition from private TV providers.
Stolte is committed to adjusting broadcasting fees and liberalizing advertising times. He also initiated a rigorous austerity program. ZDF went online in mid-1996, and the station's Internet offering has been steadily expanded since then. In international cooperation, Stolte created the cable and satellite channel 3sat with the Austrian (ORF) and Swiss broadcasters (SRG), which from then on formed the cultural mainstay of the second German television channel. In addition, Stolte continued to be active academically: from 1980 he was professor of media theory and media practice at the University of Music and Theater in Hamburg. After leaving the position of ZDF director, Stolte was appointed editor of the two daily newspapers of the Axel Springer publishing house "Die Welt" and "Berliner Morgenpost" in April 2002.
In 2001 he was awarded the Robert Geißendorfer Prize. In 2002 he received the Ring of Honor from the city of Mainz. Shortly before his 70th birthday, the restless journalist took over the chairmanship of the Friends of the German Historical Museum in Berlin in May 2004. A month later, Stolte also joined the board of the Axel Springer Foundation. Stolte published numerous publications on media theoretical issues. He was represented on the supervisory boards and executive boards of several German and European media companies. After the merger of Deutschlandfunk, RIAS Berlin and DS Kultur to form DeutschlandRadio Berlin, Stolte, who temporarily also served as interim director of the new broadcaster, chaired the administrative board there from 1994 to 1999.
Stolte, who is himself the founder and chairman of the general meeting of the German Television Prize, has been awarded, among other things, the Federal Cross of Merit, First Class (1983) and numerous, including international, media awards such as the International Emmy Directorate Award from the Academy of Television Art & Sciences in New York (1997). excellent. In 1991 he was awarded an honorary doctorate from the University of Mainz and in 1994 an honorary professorship at the University of Hamburg.
Stolte is married to Petra née Grüttner and has a daughter.
