Overview
- The WDR supervisory council narrowly approved a package that will discontinue the intercultural radio station COSMO in April 2027, replace it with a new format called 1LIVE Street, and rename 1LIVE Diggi to 1LIVE Lounge.
- Organized opposition has grown sharply this month with a #SaveCOSMOradio petition said to have surpassed 100,000 signatures, an open letter backed by more than 500 cultural and media organizations, and public protests from musicians and filmmakers.
- High-profile critics including Herbert Grönemeyer and Jan Böhmermann have publicly condemned the move and the electronic duo Mouse on Mars returned a WDR award as a symbolic protest.
- WDR leaders defend the reorganization as a response to changing media habits intended to integrate intercultural topics across younger programs and to fulfill the broadcaster’s legal remit to support intercultural coexistence.
- Opponents warn the change will eliminate mother-tongue shows, shrink dedicated coverage of 'Global Pop' and migrant perspectives, and have called for an ARD-wide alternative such as a coordinated 'COSMO 2.0' to protect representation.