1935-2024

Teddy Podgorsky passes away at the age of 88

The former ORF General Director Teddy Podgorski has died at the age of 88. This was confirmed by his family. The journalist shaped many TV formats that are still successful today.

During his four-year term of office from 1986, Podgorski drove forward the regionalization of TV and was responsible for "Bundesland heute" as well as the establishment of the popular group shows. He was also responsible for the successful "Universum" series.

From head of sport to general director
Thaddäus Podgorski was born in Vienna on July 19, 1935. He began working as a newsreader and reporter at the Rot-Weiß-Rot station in 1953. In 1955, he moved to the current affairs department of the newly founded ORF television station and soon became managing editor of "Zeit im Bild". In 1967, he was promoted to chief reporter by the then ORF director general Gerd Bacher.

He created successful programs such as "Sportpanorama" and "An den Boxen". In 1972, he was promoted to head of TV sports, a position he held until his appointment as ORF Director General in 1986. He also regularly appeared in front of the camera for the programs "Seinerzeit" and "Jolly Joker". He also made detours into acting (for example as Gestapo agent Pfalzner in "Der Bockerer") and published books such as "Mohammed Ali", "Muskeln auf Papier" and the Olympic book "Innsbruck und Montreal".

Podgorski was a lover of culture
He also worked as a theater director and actor, directing productions at the Theater in der Josefstadt or the Wiener Kammerspiele, for example, or taking part in productions at the State Opera, the Volksoper and the Mörbisch Lake Festival.