Foundation board members demand:

Election of ORF Director General to be brought forward

Things are in complete disarray at the ORF headquarters on Küniglberg.(Bild: APA/ROBERT JAEGER)

Pressure is mounting at ORF for a swift decision: The appointment of the new general director is to take place significantly earlier than planned. The chancellor is also dissatisfied with the “investigation” conducted so far. A tense Foundation Board meeting is scheduled for Thursday.

Things continue to be in disarray at ORF. While former Director General Roland Weißmann and the woman involved accuse each other of lying, the controversial leadership of the Foundation Board is coming under increasing pressure.

Chancellor Christian Stocker is dissatisfied with the investigation so far into the circumstances surrounding Weißmann’s departure, including the review and quasi-acquittal by the Compliance Commission and the subsequent dismissal of the Director General. In an interview with the “Krone,” he calls for a thorough investigation and says: “The events concerning the ORF worry me greatly. Clarity and transparency are necessary.” This presumably also includes the Foundation Board, which has come under heavy criticism.

An investigation of the events by a commission, as was done in the case of the former ORF regional director Robert Ziegler, could serve as a model for the chancellor. Stocker’s expectation: “It is now up to the ORF to provide clarity!”

Things are in disarray at the ORF headquarters on Küniglberg.(Bild: APA/ROBERT JAEGER)

Election of the new Director General to be brought forward
A Foundation Board meeting is scheduled for Thursday, and things are set to get heated. FPÖ Foundation Board member Peter Westenthaler is demanding access to the compliance report and wants to bring forward the election of the new Director General. The ÖVP-aligned board members—including Board Chairman Gregor Schütze himself—have also prepared a motion for the meeting. In it, they are now demanding that the appointment of the Director General take place not in August as planned, but as early as June 11. 

At the same time, the Foundation Board members want greater transparency regarding finances: Management should be required to fully inform the Foundation Board of any deviations in salaries, bonuses, or additional benefits—including the rationale and financial implications. The motion also calls for structural changes. The existing Compensation Committee is to be expanded into an Extended Personnel Committee, which will deal in particular with urgent personnel decisions at the executive level.

In addition, the current compliance rules for Foundation Board members are to be reviewed and, if necessary, tightened. The focus here is on issues of independence, confidentiality, and the practical applicability of the existing guidelines.

Morale at a Low Point at Küniglberg
Since the publication of the “Krone”’s first in-depth interview with the woman who accused former General Director Weißmann of sexual harassment, morale at ORF has hit rock bottom. Interim Director Ingrid Thurnher described the published chats, word for word, as “disturbing, shocking, and unacceptable.”

The report by the compliance commission appointed by Thurnher had previously concluded that Weißmann’s actions did not constitute sexual harassment. That ORF employee had now spoken out for the first time and also provided insights into the years-long chat history. Observers assume that the resigned ORF chief will be awarded only a fraction of his financial claims (originally 3.9 million euros).