Quality has many perspectives. In the case of a public broadcaster, one is the perspective of the client, i. e., the democratically elected state parliaments, which formulate social demands as a framework for the programme to be produced. On the other hand, there is the one of the broadcaster and, in the true sense of

the word, its journalists, editors and producers, who follow their professional demands. Then there are those of the users, who in turn evaluate the programme offered according to their personal expectations. And finally, that of the current, rapidly changing market, which sets its own standards for production value, addressing target groups and dramaturgy on the various playout platforms. Quality assurance is complex and can succeed today only if it is conceived in multiple perspectives, if it remains open to adjustments, and if it nevertheless manages to operate with a uniform, comprehensible and recognized set of instruments and clear goals. At ZDF, the ZDF COMPASS was developed

as a central management tool for this purpose, incorporating the dimensions

of use, quality, impact, and acceptance. I would like to outline some

aspects of this in the following. Society formulates an essential quality criterion

in the form of the mission assigned to public broadcasting. In Germany

ZDF is supposed to provide all citizens with an offer that informs, educates,

advises, entertains in an appropriate manner, and conveys culture

to them. The fulfillment of this mission constitutes a specific public service

quality in contrast to the market-driven media offerings of private

companies. Whether the implementation in the programme succeeds, however, is subject to the judgment of the viewers to a considerable extent. Mission fulfillment

that is not recognized comes to nothing. An effect that is perceived by

users as personal added value must be verified by surveys and studies, and

the results must be fed back into the editorial work. Credibility is the conditio

sine qua non of public broadcasting. It is the basis for its role in democracy,

not only to inform people about all important events and developments, but

to do so independently of the political leadership and other powerful people

in the country. The professional ethics of our journalists should not be taken

for granted in the reception of this. Criticism from small but vocal segments

of the population and some media outlets that exploit this to their advantage

is audible. That's why it's important to make journalistic quality and reliability

more visible through maximum transparency, communication, and education,

and to continually rebuild and maintain trust in dialogue with viewers. The ÖRR

cannot enforce media competence in the population, but it can be a partner

for social educational institutions in their efforts to increase it. Another overarching quality feature is, for example, the strengthening of

community in democracy. The programme is intended to create empathy and

understanding among citizens for their fellow human beings. Whether this

succeeds can be deduced from surveys on whether the diversity of opinions

is reflected in the programme; and by evaluations on whether social diversity

is also reflected in the people who produce the programme.

Maximum accessibility to programming through unrestricted access is part

of this, as is the rooting of public broadcasters in society through cooperation

with other civil society institutions and dialogue with its users. To this end, ZDF

is establishing a national audience panel that will enable regular and spontaneous

exchanges between programme makers and the public. A necessary and

increasingly important feature in the organization of public service work is a

culture of error. The rapid development and adaptation times of the digital age

make this essential. Through permanent (re)steering, programme work can be

adapted to market standards, innovations and user habits and expectations.

Here, automated measurement systems as well as target agreements and reviews

in the editorial offices can help to establish regular course corrections

among the programme makers. A review system of this kind, integrating all playout channels and quality criteria at the format level, is also currently being developed at ZDF. Quality already begins in the development of new formats. Here at ZDF, we have established the possibility for editorial staff to enter into dialogue with the respective target group at an early stage. The content expectations of potential users and the dramaturgical and formal conception of a format, including possible

programme titles, can thus be tested and adapted at an early stage. At ZDF,

for example, the new development of the documentary series "Die Spur", produced

for the Mediathek, was accompanied by an elaborate dialogue format

between editors and people from the target group. Similarly, the new formats

on the ZDFkultur YouTube channel "Unbubble" were tested and evaluated online

by users at various stages of development. Quality can only develop effectively if it is found and used. Reaching as many people in the population as possible is necessary for this. This can only succeed if a suitable offer is made to all groups. This includes comprehensibly conveyed information in news and documentaries for all age groups, but also entertaining genres and formats that are particularly suited to conveying valuable content. The treatment of important social developments as feature films or series, such as the topic of the environment in the eco-thriller series "Der Schwarm," and investigation combined with satire and show in "ZDF Magazin Royale" are examples from ZDF programming. An expansion of genre diversity in the area of fiction and factual entertainment should also be mentioned in this context. The media world with its complex diversity of offerings, distribution and use, combined with the specific social mandate, requires a complex response on the part of the ÖRR in the form of an evaluation and control system for quality

assurance. Looking at the market is no longer sufficient; the viewers and their

evaluation of the ÖRR are moving to the centre of attention. The challenge is to

apply the appropriate instruments depending on the company, channel, or format

objective and to combine them in a communicating system for overall control.