The jury, chaired by German theologian and Church President Volker Jung, praised Peter Kloeppel for shaping the image of RTL Deutschland over three decades. Following roles at RTL Plus and as a US correspondent, Peter has been Chief Presenter of RTL Aktuell since 1992 – during which time the news programme has achieved high-quality journalism and a continuous high reach. From 2004 to 2014, Peter additionally took on the role of Editor-in-Chief of flagship channel RTL, repeatedly demonstrating his ability to make complex content – including political topics such as election coverage – accessible to a broad audience. Peter was particularly praised for his seven-hour live coverage of the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001.

The jury also emphasised Peter’s commitment to young talent. In 2001, he founded the RTL Journalistenschule (RTL School of Journalism). Overall, according to the jury, “Peter has set high standards for news journalism and has thus more than fulfilled Robert Geisendörfer's expectations of high-quality journalism, promoting the debate of opinions and open discourse in a pluralistic society."

Martin Gradl, Managing Director of RTL News, says: "Congratulations to Peter Kloeppel on this more than deserved honour! With his journalistic expertise, confidence and great sensitivity, Peter has not only significantly shaped the German TV landscape for more than three decades, but also RTL Deutschland. Even during turbulent times, he has never lost his composure and is one of the most popular news presenters. By founding the RTL Journalistenschule, he also set the course for the future of journalism at RTL Deutschland and established a recognised training centre for moving images."

The award will be presented during a ceremony on 8 October 2024 in Hamburg. In the summer, Peter will say goodbye to RTL Aktuell and hand over to two new teams of presenters. During his career, he has received numerous awards – including the Grimme-Preis Spezial, the Deutschen Fernsehpreis, the Bayerischen Fernsehpreis and the Publikums-Bambi.