- His profession within the broadcasting facility
After more than three decades, on August 23 (6:45 PM, RTL), Peter Kloepfel (65) will step down from his role as news anchor on "RTL Aktuell". His co-anchor in sports, Ulrike von der Groeben (67), will also retire from her position within the news program. They announced their departures back in mid-March 2024. Over the past three decades, the duo has hosted over 4,500 joint broadcasts. Kloepfel, in particular, has had a distinguished career in TV at RTL.
CEO of "RTL" News, Martin Gradl, acknowledged Kloepfel's achievements in a statement regarding the jury's special prize of the Robert Geisendoerfer Award, which Kloepfel will receive on October 8. According to Gradl, "Kloepfel has significantly shaped not only the German TV landscape but also RTL with his journalistic competence, independence, and great sensitivity over more than three decades. Even in challenging times, he has remained composed and is one of the most popular news anchors."
Career Beginnings: Agricultural Journalist
What sparked Kloepfel's journey? He graduated from high school in Bad Homburg in 1977 and completed his military service before earning a degree in agricultural sciences in 1983. The foundation of his journalistic career was laid when he enrolled in a training program at the Henri Nannen School in 1983. His goal was to become an agricultural journalist. "At the time, I had studied agriculture and asked myself what to do with this degree," he stated in a 2014 interview with "DWDL". He enjoyed writing and communicating and wanted to combine his agricultural knowledge with these skills.
However, with advice from friends, he joined RTL instead. "I've always been a hands-on type of person," he said in the "DWDL" interview. "So, I did a three-month internship at RTL plus." He found the work in Luxembourg to be as exciting and educational as he had hoped. "At some point, I was even allowed to moderate the news as an intern. That's when I realized: Television is more exciting than I thought."
Career Progression at RTL
Kloepfel began working for the station in Bonn, the former capital, in 1985. "Working there, being a capital journalist, was already cool for a newcomer like me," he said in retrospect. "Even for such a small TV station, being active there was appealing. The offer to become a political correspondent was also the deciding factor for me to stay with RTL." In 1990, he moved to New York as the USA correspondent and covered events such as the Gulf War twice a week. In 1992, he was appointed chief anchor of the main news "RTL Aktuell" and served as editor-in-chief of RTL from 2004 to 2014. Viewers appreciated Kloepfel's calm, factual, and objective reporting style. "I didn't want to create rough edges," he said.
Marathon Live Moderation
Kloepfel left a lasting impression with his seven-hour live moderation during the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001. At the time of the attack, Kloepfel was in the studio in Cologne. In a 2021 RND interview, he described his immediate reaction to the events: "It was disbelief and at the same time recognizing: This is really happening, I've seen it. At that moment, my professional reflex kicked in: I have to go on air as soon as possible and report what's happening in New York. I immediately understood the magnitude of it." Kloepfel's extensive experience in New York and his local knowledge assisted him, as he had little information and only images from American stations to work with. "Gradually, they provided me with information, like the earpiece. But in the first hour, I was mainly on my own."
Retirement and Future Plans
With retirement approaching, Kloepfel has found his successors at RTL. RTL has assembled a quartet for summer 2024, including Roberta Bieling (49) and Andreas von Thien (57), who will present the show from Monday to Sunday in two fixed moderation teams, along with Christopher Wittich (41) and Anna Fleischhauer (37). Kloepfel will be turning 66 in October and has decided it's time to retire. He has reduced his appearances in recent years and spent more time with his wife and daughter in the US. "That was nice," he said in the conversation. "Now it will be even nicer." In the US, Kloepfel will be known primarily as "Peter from Germany - not as a TV personality."
Professional Plans After Retirement
Kloepfel's plans after retirement are not yet clear, although he will continue to advocate for the next generation of journalists through the RTL Journalism School. The honor of receiving the jury's special prize of the Robert Geisendoerfer Award on October 8 marks the end of a distinguished journalistic career for Kloepfel and von der Groeben, who will be missed by their loyal viewers.
Kloeppel won't completely vanish from the station's display. He expressed his willingness to tackle projects like 'Throughlit' once more, but he's done with the daily news moderation gig, as he mentioned to "stern" magazine. Furthermore, he'll stick around with RTL for an additional show. Specifically, on November 5, he'll join as a co-host for the nightly program covering the US presidential elections. He shared his plans during a chat with "Antenne Bayern" in late July, stating, "Yep, I'll be in Cologne on that election night, ready to lend my support to our new anchorwomen and anchors as a co-commentator."
The news of Kloepfel's retirement as a news anchor on "RTL Aktuell" has been widely reported in various news outlets. Despite his departure, RTL viewers can still look forward to seeing him on November 5, as he has agreed to co-host the nightly program covering the US presidential elections.
In recognition of his significant contributions to German television, CEO of "RTL" News, Martin Gradl, will present Kloepfel with the jury's special prize of the Robert Geisendoerfer Award on October 8. The award is a testament to Kloepfel's influential role in shaping the German TV landscape and his commitment to journalistic excellence over the past three decades.
