"Krone" has the details

New ORF Chief: Has the die already been cast?

In one month, the new ORF chief will be “elected” by the Foundation Board.(Bild: APA/HERBERT NEUBAUER)

The fog surrounding the position of future ORF Director General could soon clear. As “Krone” has learned, the die may have been cast in the race between APA CEO Clemens Pig and Krone Hit Managing Director Philipp König ... 

The ÖVP and SPÖ are said to have already agreed on Pig. König, on the other hand, is reportedly out of the running. The 51-year-old Pig has long been considered the favorite, although many in the ÖVP view him as not closely enough aligned with the party. Given the heated debate over a serious depoliticization of the ORF, however, that may ultimately have worked in his favor.

König, on the other hand, is seen as a Kurz man. The seasoned media professional was once a member of Sebastian Kurz’s cabinet.

The ÖVP and SPÖ are said to have agreed on Clemens Pig—pictured here with ORF interim head Ingrid Thurnher at an APA book presentation.(Bild: APA/APA-Images /ehem. picturedesk)

Will there be a third party coming out on top in the end?
When asked by the “Krone,” Pig declined to comment on a possible candidacy, as the application deadline runs until the end of May. It cannot be ruled out that there will be a third party coming out on top in the end. ORF Lower Austria Regional Director Alexander Hofer, for example, is frequently mentioned.

Several insiders told the “Krone” that “the goose only gets crispy at the end.” An alleged conversation between Chancellor Christian Stocker (ÖVP) and Media Minister Andreas Babler (SPÖ) this week has not been officially confirmed. However, it is considered a done deal that, in exchange for the ORF General Director for the ÖVP, the SPÖ will get the Radio Director.

The election will take place on June 11
No official applications have yet been received by the Board of Trustees, which is conducting the election. Interested parties have until the end of May to apply; the election will then take place on June 11. The fact that the selection of a new ORF chief is being rushed through at this breakneck pace is drawing criticism.

The election of the new regional directors is also to be brought forward and held as early as July. Critics argue that politicians are trying to secure party-political appointments before the reform convention announced for the fall.

The black-red horse-trading continues unabated.

FPÖ

Massive criticism from the FPÖ regarding the current approach
The FPÖ is already up in arms: “The black-red horse-trading continues unabated. Apparently, nothing has been learned from the mistakes of the past, not even from Wöginger’s conviction. The ORF thus remains at risk of staying in a party-political stranglehold and suffocating under it. The FPÖ, on the other hand, is calling for a complete restart of the ORF, a total overhaul, and the abolition of the mandatory license fee.”

In fact, calls for a genuine depoliticization of the ORF are growing even within the coalition. “Business as usual is not an option,” government circles say.