Starting in May, NTV will broadcast from a new studio at RTL Deutschland’s Cologne broadcasting center, taking its news coverage to the next level. As RTL Deutschland’s first fully automated studio, the set is, according to the company, ready to go on air at any time, highly flexible, and specifically designed to meet the demands of a 24/7 news operation and dynamic breaking news situations.
At the same time, NTV is also aiming for a strong visual presence: A consistently applied, intense red defines the studio, strengthening the NTV brand and creating an immediate visual presence that immediately connects with viewers. The entire production environment has been fundamentally rethought – from architecture and technical systems to editorial workflows. The result is a 230-square-meter, walk-through studio, planned and realized in collaboration with the renowned architecture and design studio Veech x Veech.
Minimize time to air
At the core of the new studio is a fully automated technological infrastructure that translates content into control room workflows in real time and reduces manual intervention to a minimum. This enables NTV to respond quickly and precisely to current news situations and go on air with minimal delay. Five robotic camera systems, intelligent tracking systems, automated teleprompters, and AI-supported audio workflows ensure stable, reliable, and highly dynamic production, even in breaking news scenarios. The networked infrastructure also enables more live feeds and flexible access to national and international sources.
As part of RTL Deutschland’s unified lead design, the new studio fits into the overarching design strategy while aiming to preserve NTV’s distinct identity. At the center of the concept, RTL Deutschland explains, is the color red as a “consistent visual guiding principle.” It is used as a defining element throughout the studio and strengthens NTV’s recognition across all platforms. The color red is intended to represent dynamism, relevance, and presence, visually expressing the core values of the NTV brand. It also underscores NTV’s core strength: breaking news coverage. Combined with a reduced design language and five LED walls of around 70 square meters each, this creates a modern stage for interactive storytelling that presents complex content in a clear and accessible way.
‘Investment in quality and the future of news journalism’
“The new NTV studio is a targeted investment in the quality and future of news journalism at RTL Deutschland,” said Martin Gradl, Managing Director RTL News & NTV. “We are leveraging modern technology to further strengthen speed, reliability, and relevance. At the same time, we are consistently developing NTV as a leading news brand across platforms.” David Whigham, Editor-in-Chief NTV, said: “In a world flooded with information, it is our task to provide orientation through clear positioning and the highest journalistic standards. The new studio, with its distinctive red backdrop, is the perfect symbol of this and a key building block in more closely linking linear and digital offerings. It represents our commitment to delivering reliable news and supporting our audience across platforms. At the same time, we are able to deliver content in real time and at high quality exactly where our audience expects it.”
