Millions at stake

Juicy blue savings plans for ORF

(Bild: Krone KREATIV/APA/stock.adobe)

The ORF is becoming a pawn in the blue-black coalition negotiations. The public broadcaster is to save 150 million euros in future - that would be a third of the staff.

The FPÖ-ÖVP coalition starts the first rounds of negotiations on the future of the media - and the FPÖ does not hesitate for long. Christian Hafenecker, blue media spokesman, announced even before the start of negotiations that the ORF would have to make savings of 15 percent in the future - with an ORF budget of one billion, this would mean around 150 million euros.

The abolition of the household fee is a key election promise of the Blue Party. In other words, the Freedom Party wants to deliver on this point for its voters. "A good third of staff would be affected if 15 percent actually had to be cut. As contracts have to be honored, it is not possible to make quick cuts in personnel. So productions such as "Tatort" or folk music or cooperations will also be affected," warns ORF Foundation Board member Heinz Lederer.

ORF: "Overexploitation of Austria as a media location"
Even if the FM4 radio station and ORF III are discontinued, this will "only" result in savings of 30 million euros.

Overall, Lederer sees "overexploitation of Austria as a media location". If you add up all the announced cost-cutting measures in the media sector, then you get "300 million euros".

The Greens also warn against the blue plans: "This is dangerous in terms of media policy because it makes the ORF massively dependent on politics and weakens it editorially," says media spokesperson Sigi Maurer.