Mutual accusations

TV star against ORF: dismissal as a mud fight

Terminated twice: Sonja Sagmeister and the ORF have been keeping the courts busy for two years with a fierce labor law dispute(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Martin Jöchl, ORF)

The never-ending case of Sonja Sagmeister! ORF and its TV star, who has now been dismissed twice, will soon be facing each other again in the labor court. It's about unauthorized side jobs, defamation and the explosive search for a mole.

The mud-slinging between the 50-year-old well-known business editor, who has worked for the media giant for 30 years, and ORF has been raging for two years. It all began when Sonja Sagmeister, according to her statements, was transferred to the "death archive" after an interview with predetermined questions "in the style of North Korea" with the then Economics Minister Martin Kocher. To write obituaries there. She was later dismissed for the first time.

Side jobs as a business journalist incompatible
However, the Küniglberg presents a completely different picture. Sagmeister had been able to conduct the interview with the top politician as normal; in fact, she had been warned for months about unauthorized sideline activities in the form of company shareholdings with a well-known entrepreneur. This was incompatible as a business journalist, which is why the ripcord was pulled.

As reported, ORF lost in the first instance in the labor court and had to reinstate the once high-profile TV editor - which was followed by her second dismissal. Sagmeister went public again and emphasized: "I will continue to fight. I'm certainly not leaving voluntarily!"

Dismissed twice: Sonja Sagmeister and ORF have been in the courts for two years with a fierce labor law dispute(Bild: Krone KREATIV/Martin Jöchl, ORF)

"Just the tip of the iceberg"
In this context, the life confession of an anonymous insider in a medium, who unpacks the alleged machinations of the ORF, is also explosive. The working atmosphere is toxic, characterized by fear, silence and pressure. The departure of TV weather lady Christa Kummer, we reported, was "not an isolated case and only the tip of the iceberg".

Language expert to expose "insider"
This is where the case becomes even more explosive: the state broadcaster has now commissioned a court-certified voice expert to unmask the identity of the voice in the "revealing video". The allegations are "serious damage to the company" and would therefore mean that the employee would be dismissed without notice.

Shortly before the new reunion at the labor court at the beginning of November, the ORF also countered publicly: Her (first) dismissal in 2023 was precisely "due to personal misconduct in connection with unauthorized secondary employment, which she did not end despite repeated requests over a period of months".

The Federal Administrative Court also found no misconduct on the part of the company management: Sonja Sagmeister was not restricted in her rights as a journalist (keyword "North Korea interview"). And: The renewed dismissal would have been due to further breaches of duty.

Colleagues in the company are said to have turned their backs
If you ask around behind the scenes at ORF headquarters, Sagmeister apparently has no support from well-known colleagues who are otherwise so critical of the company. Nobody wants to work with her anymore, they say. Editorial board member Dieter Bornemann was sued by her under private law (and acquitted, whereupon she appealed). Even "Mister ZiB 2", TV presenter Armin Wolf, does not stand up for her on social media.

In any case, the fierce labor law dispute remains exciting ...