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FPÖ expands its blue “media empire”

The FPÖ fully relies on its own media in the social channels(Bild: Screenshot )

The Freedom Party is putting the brakes on traditional media and making its own news. While the FPÖ wants to cut back on traditional media - above all the ORF - it is expanding its own "media empire". 

In the upcoming government work, they want to leave nothing to chance and ensure that the messages are received "correctly" in their own sense - in other words, message control in blue. The blue flagship fpö.tv is getting new presenters. A radio station will also be implemented in the course of the year, announces media spokesman Christian Hafenecker.

A blue radio station will be launched in the course of the year
However: political parties are not legally allowed to obtain a radio license. Therefore, the blue-colored radio program will probably only be available online in the future. The aim of this FPÖ expansion is to slow down the independent media houses. The blue party has been a pioneer with its messages on social media for many years; fpö.tv has 227,000 subscribers

Financed with taxpayers' money

The FPÖ wants to continue riding this wave. The party now employs 15 people for this purpose. It has the money to do so; the party's coffers are full to bursting thanks to its election successes. According to Hafenecker, the party reaches 1.4 million households with its formats. In view of this, some media should ask themselves whether they are doing everything right or whether they should return to presenting "unfiltered content" in future, says the FPÖ General. He does not mention at this point that the FPÖ finances its media with taxpayers' money.

ORF in the FPÖ's sights
Instead, he affirms that media funding should be restructured and the "inequalities between ORF and all others should be eliminated". "The forced financing of the ORF can no longer exist in this way."

New conflict with "Standard" over secret recording
The FPÖ General used his appearance to criticize secret recordings of FPÖ MPs published by "Der Standard", which criticize the ÖVP and the EU. The ÖVP should "actually be banned from government and sent to the opposition bench", said Tschank.

However, the People's Party is "power-hungry" and wants to remain in its positions, so it could be shown "that we are the stronger party, that we can push through our content." The mandataries also spoke out against the EU: One should actually leave, but that is "not a real option", said Stefan.

ÖVP is irritated by FPÖ statements
The ÖVP reacted "disconcerted by the statements of the FPÖ politicians". "It is clear to us that a possible government program must be clearly pro-European. It needs a clear commitment that Austria will remain a reliable and constructive part of the European Union. With us, there will be no Öxit," said the ÖVP in a written statement. Hafenecker added: "If one or two journalists feel compelled to film our event with a hidden camera - it is not necessary. We are transparent."