Channel identity
One WDR slot contains several local programmes
WDR’s programme listing places multiple Lokalzeit editions in the same regional slot. Its current overview separates Aachen, Bonn, Dortmund, Duisburg, Düsseldorf, Köln and other editorial areas. WDR Fernsehen alone therefore does not identify which local bulletin a viewer has received.
When two households see different stories during Lokalzeit, compare the regional edition before treating either television as faulty. Their surrounding WDR programme can agree while the regional window differs. Keep the displayed feed name and the bulletin title together when saving a favourite or reporting the mismatch.
A city feed name and the editorial region can use different labels
The ARD Mediathek WDR page lists live channels by locations such as Bielefeld, Essen, Münster and Siegen. The Lokalzeit programme collection uses editorial titles including OWL, Ruhr, Münsterland and Südwestfalen. A household may therefore encounter a city label in one selector and a wider regional title on the actual programme.
Use the official collection to match the intended edition rather than inventing a second channel from that wording difference. For example, retain the full Lokalzeit title when seeking a previous bulletin. A generic search for Ruhr news can return individual reports without identifying the complete Lokalzeit edition.
A favourite labelled Münster and a programme called Lokalzeit Münsterland should therefore be compared through the official regional programme collection.
Live, current edition and previous editions are separate routes
WDR’s Lokalzeit hub gives each region separate routes for its current programme, livestream and earlier programmes. Choose the livestream for the regional window happening now. Choose the dated edition when the purpose is to see a bulletin that has already finished, rather than waiting for the running channel to repeat it.
Check the date and running time of the selected item. A single local report may carry the same story as the full bulletin but stop after a few minutes because it is a complete short item. That ending does not establish that the full programme’s replay is broken or that the regional channel has lost reception.
Use the particular day’s listing for repeats and special editions
The WDR programme page for 4 November 2026 names the parallel regional editions and separately identifies a repeat appointment. That dated page is an example of how the broadcaster marks programme and repeat information; it should not be turned into a permanent daily timetable.
WDR also lists Lokalzeit am Samstag, Lokalzeit Geschichten and Lokalzeit Live as their own programme choices. Preserve the exact title instead of treating every Lokalzeit result as the same nightly edition. For a reminder, keep the originating date and Europe/Berlin time context, then match the actual channel and programme notice on the receiving service.
Questions answered
Can two working WDR televisions show different Lokalzeit reports?
Yes. Compare their selected regional editions during the local window.
Does a city name in the live selector always repeat the complete editorial programme title?
No. The official selectors and programme collection can use a city and a wider regional title.
Sources & further reading
Official references for the subjects discussed. Service terms and device software can change.