Florian Hager re-elected as director-general of Hessischer Rundfunk

Florian Hager has been re-elected as the director-general (Intendant) of Hessischer Rundfunk (hr) for a five-year term. The broadcaster's broadcasting council approved his re-election with 29 out of 30 votes in the first round of voting.

Hager, who has led the broadcaster since 2022, faced no opposing candidates during this election cycle. The selection committee interviewed other applicants but ultimately recommended only Hager. While the German Journalists Association (DJV) Hessen congratulated Hager on his re-election, the organization criticized the selection process, stating that proposing only the incumbent does not meet the standards for a transparent and open appointment procedure.

During his second term, Hager intends to pursue his ‘Zielbild 2032’ strategy, which aims to transform the broadcaster into a digital media house. This includes significant reforms to radio programming, such as a plan to halve in-house radio productions by 2032. Financially, hr reported a surplus of 52 million euros for 2025, though management noted this does not imply excessive liquidity.