About This Episode
From Radio Darling to Conspiracy Guru
Ken Jebsen was one of Berlin's most popular radio hosts throughout the 2000s. At the microphone of "Radioeins — the good morning" on rbb Radioeins, he built a loyal listener base with his provocative, freewheeling style and progressive approach to broadcasting. But his career collapsed suddenly on March 1, 2011, when rbb fired him following antisemitic remarks on air.
The dismissal became the turning point that would transform Jebsen from a modern radio iconoclast into an extremist video producer. Rather than reflect on his behavior, he embraced conspiracy theories to explain his downfall. He constructed a narrative where established media, including rbb, were part of a global conspiracy against him and "the truth."
KenFM Became Megaphone for Conspiracy Theories
In 2012, Jebsen launched KenFM on YouTube and as a podcast. Without traditional journalism's quality controls, he quickly reached hundreds of thousands of followers. His content blended legitimate system criticism with wild theories, academic language with baseless speculation.
The podcasts and videos appealed to people who felt marginalized by mainstream media. The echo chamber grew, and Jebsen became a guru for a subculture that saw itself as "awakened" compared to a sleeping population.