Almost at the last minute

APA CEO Clemens Pig has submitted his application to ORF

APA CEO Clemens Pig has now officially announced his candidacy for the ORF top job.(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

At the very last minute, APA CEO Clemens Pig—who is considered the favorite—has now submitted his application for the position of ORF Director General. He wants an “ORF that Austria trusts,” Pig stated in a press release. 

“The ORF is not just any media company. It is a central democratic institution of this country,” Pig explained his decision. “I want to take responsibility for ensuring that the ORF strengthens trust, provides guidance, and consistently develops its special role in the digital age,” said the new candidate for the top job at Austria’s largest media giant.

The motto for Pig’s candidacy was chosen accordingly: “An ORF that Austria trusts.” This is not about marketing, Pig clarified in a press release: “Trust is not created through campaigns. Trust is created through behavior. An ORF that Austria trusts must act fairly, pluralistically, objectively, adaptively, and transparently—every day.”

“Not self-promotion or grand theatrics”
What is needed here is not self-promotion or grand theatrics, but rather calm, engaging, and results-oriented leadership. After all, the role of an ORF Director General extends far beyond traditional media management. “It’s not just about ratings, reach, or commercial logic. The ORF must devote all its energy to public value, democratic principles, cultural and regional identity, digital innovation, and journalistic credibility. It must remain a public institution—independent of political parties, special interests, and specific social circles.”

The 51-year-old, through his now ten-year tenure at the helm of the APA news agency—a cooperative owned by the ORF and many Austrian daily newspapers—is in regular contact with nearly all major media outlets in the country. The Tyrolean also advocates strongly for cooperation within the domestic media market, arguing that reliable information is key to competing with the Big Tech giants and their platforms. Pig also emphasized this in the context of his recent application: “That is why we need an ORF that is strong but not self-centered; that cooperates where it benefits the country; and that contributes its infrastructure, innovative strength, and experience to partnerships in a fair and transparent manner.”

APA CEO Clemens Pig has now officially announced his candidacy for the ORF leadership position.(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

“No pretense of revolution”
“The ORF doesn’t need a pose of revolution, but neither does it need a mere continuation of the status quo,” Pig made clear that he does not envision a ‘business as usual’ approach: “It needs renewal with trust and vision—and leadership that decides, explains, listens, and implements.” In this regard, he himself sees five key tasks for the future ORF leadership: “Economic stability and transparent governance, strengthening trust, the audience, and the public service mandate, digital transformation including AI, organizational renewal along with a transparent, equality-oriented, and non-discriminatory corporate culture, as well as cooperation for Austria as a media hub.”

Markus Breitenecker, Ingrid Thurnher, and Clemens Pig at the “Medientreff” in Tyrol(Bild: Christof Birbaumer)

Foundation board members close to the ÖVP and SPÖ as presumed supporters
According to observers, Pig has the support of at least some of the ORF board members affiliated with the ÖVP and SPÖ. Together, these two “circles of friends” constitute a clear majority on the ORF’s highest governing body, which will convene on June 11 to elect the ORF leadership.

Thurnher withdraws candidacy
Apart from Pig, several other media executives have applied. Among them are former ProSiebenSat.1Puls4 CEO Markus Breitenecker, ORF magazine editor-in-chief Lisa Totzauer, and now also Johannes Larcher, a former HBO, Hulu, and Shahid executive who has enjoyed success abroad. 

He also officially announced his candidacy on Thursday. “My independence is not just a promise—it is my strength. I stand for an ORF that is accountable to no one but its audience and the Austrian public good,” said Larcher. His concept is based on five pillars: To safeguard editorial independence, he proposes an independent news division, according to media reports. He also plans to elevate local content from the federal states and implement a digital omni-channel strategy that expands ORF content to third-party platforms such as TikTok.

He was ultimately recruited to Warner Media in 2020 by Gerhard Zeiler, arguably Austria’s most influential media executive abroad. There, Larcher served for two years as Head of HBO Max Global, overseeing the rollout of the streaming service to many parts of the world. HBO Max also launched in Austria at the beginning of the year. Larcher, who reported to Zeiler—who once led ORF and RTL—during his tenure, was no longer on board when the platform launched in Austria. At that time, according to his own statements, he had returned the audiobook and e-book platform Storytel to profitability from 2022 to 2024.

The current ORF chief, Ingrid Thurnher, has decided not to run for the position. On Thursday, she explained that this decision would give her more freedom in the coming months to address issues and better set the course for the future. Eva Schütz, the fiancée of former SPÖ Tyrol leader Georg Dornauer, has also thrown her hat into the ring. She currently runs a tabloid news platform.