“Gaining Trust”
Election Today: Who Will Lead ORF Until the End of the Year?
High tension right up to the last minute at Vienna’s Küniglberg, home of the ORF: On Thursday afternoon, following a “turbulent meeting” (quote from FPÖ Foundation Board member Peter Westenthaler), the Foundation Board elected interim head Ingrid Thurnher as ORF Director General. You can read about the day’s events in the krone.at live ticker.
The most important news in brief:
- Ingrid Thurnher will be the second woman since 1967 to lead the ORF, at least until the end of 2026. She was elected by a clear majority of 31 to 3 votes, with one abstention. She now wants to “regain the public’s trust,” she said in an initial statement. She left open the possibility of running for another term beyond 2026.
- The foundation board members had previously criticized thecompliance report, which does not accuse Weißmann of sexual harassment against an ORF employee. They argued that the sources cited in the report were “insufficient.”
The election for the actual next five-year term of the ORF Director General, beginning in 2027, is scheduled for August 11, but would now be moved up to June 11, 2026. Twenty-eight members of the Foundation Board voted in favor.
Westenthaler reported in a statement during the proceedings that it had been a “turbulent meeting” that began with a “battle of the lawyers.” In the end, “no legal position really prevailed.”
As for the debate over consultant Pius Strobl’s lavish pension agreement, however, no conclusion was reached. Thurnher will “give it some thought and consult with others,” it was said.
Media MinisterAndreas Babler announced in the National Council on Thursday that he intends to wait until the fall to launch an ORF reform.
Read the live ticker from the ORF Foundation Board meeting here:
Low point in morale at Küniglberg
Since the publication of the first detailed interview in the “Krone” with the woman who accuses former ORF Director General Roland Weißmann of sexual harassment, morale at ORF has hit rock bottom. Interim Director General 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 has 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).
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