A late-night decision

Showdown at Küniglberg: Who Will Be the New ORF Chief?

Clemens Pig at his first appearance(Bild: APA/MAX SLOVENCIK)

The new ORF chief is Clemens Pig: 21 of 35 board members voted for the government’s preferred candidate and former APA chief. The hearing day was exciting—and long—like never before. The “Krone” reported live—here you can read about the election as well as the first words of the designated Director General.

• A long day—over twelve hours—lies behind Küniglberg: Nine candidates were invitedto the hearingby the ORF Foundation Board—out of a total of 75.

• Each candidate had to present their concept and answer questions. Twenty-one board members voted for the political favorite Clemens Pig; co-favorite Johannes Larcher received six votes, Markus Breitenecker three, editorial favorite Lisa Totzauer three, and Kathrin Zierhut-Kunz at least one vote.

• FPÖ board member Peter Westenthaler accuses the government of having rigged the election in advance—in Pig’s favor—even after the vote. He calls it a “disgusting charade” and announced in an initial statement that he would challenge the result. During Pig’s questioning, which lasted over two hours, there were shouting matches.

Clemens Pig at his first appearance(Bild: APA/MAX SLOVENCIK)

• Pig is taking on several challenges. The biggest ones are the implementation of a drastic austerity program and the further development of digital services in a time of upheaval.

“Passing the baton”: Pig and Thurnher(Bild: Imre Antal)

Ingrid Thurnher is handing over her post—and treated the journalists to chocolate-covered bananas while they waited.(Bild: Jennifer Kapellari)

Political favorite Clemens Pig was “grilled” for a good two hours.(Bild: APA/ROLAND SCHLAGER)

Foundation Board Chairman Lederer emphasizes that the selection is made independently of politics.(Bild: APA/ROLAND SCHLAGER)

Both literally and figuratively: The ORF is currently quite a construction site.(Bild: APA/ROLAND SCHLAGER)

Never before has the appointment of a new head of public broadcasting been accompanied by so much public attention. The reason for this is the scandal surrounding Roland Weißmann, who resigned as ORF Director General in March after being accused of sexual harassment. Further scandals followed. Most recently, top manager and ORF salary king Pius Strobl was relieved of his duties by interim head Ingrid Thurnher for compliance reasons.

Government Imposes Cost Cuts
In any case, the new director general will have to steer the ORF back into calm waters starting in 2027. This will by no means be easy. As reported, the government is taking its austerity budget seriously when it comes to the ORF as well. It is cutting the broadcaster’s annual financial compensation by 93 million euros.

In return, however, according to the Ministry of Media, ORF will be allowed to draw more funds from a so-called “restricted account.” It may access up to 710 million euros from revenue generated by the household license fee. The remainder flows into this “restricted account.” The cap is now being raised to 780 million euros. Starting in 2027, the ORF will also be allowed to use an additional 35 million euros per year—on the condition that the specialty channels ORF Sport+ and ORF III are maintained and that funding for the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra (RSO) continues to be provided.

Ingrid Thurnher will remain ORF Director General until the end of the year.(Bild: Eva Manhart)

Cuts are noticeable
Nevertheless, a cut remains. Director General Thurnher had already warned that this would shake “the very foundations” of the media organization and that the audience would feel the impact as well. Thurnher explained last week that, according to legal experts, the cuts could be unconstitutional, as the ORF must be sustainably funded by law to fulfill its public service mandate. A lawsuit is being considered.

Even without the new cuts, the ORF was already facing increased pressure to cut costs. In addition, the ORF license fee, in the form of a household levy of 15.30 euros, is frozen until 2029. Reserves are now being tapped, and programming is under review, according to Thurnher. It has been reported that significant cuts are likely to be made to quiz shows, for example. At the same time, the ORF chief wants to define areas “that must not be touched because they are essential to our existence.”

Wide Field of Candidates
The new head of the ORF, who will be elected today, will therefore have to cut costs, and the public will be watching her every move. Nevertheless, there is a record number of applicants for the top job. Nine of them have been nominated for today’s hearing before the ORF Foundation Board.

The frontrunner is former APA managing director Clemens Pig. He is considered the ÖVP’s preferred candidate. Many fear that his election has already been prearranged in advance by “circles of friends” on the Foundation Board. To counter this impression, the chairs of the Foundation Board have called for a “free decision” in a letter. Pig himself, in any case, emphasizes his independence.

Observers also give Johannes Larcher, an internationally sought-after media executive, good odds. Longshots include ORF magazine editor-in-chief Lisa Totzauer, who is favored by the editorial staff, as well as Markus Breitenecker, the longtime head of ProSiebenSat.1Puls4. All of these candidates have confirmed their intention to take legal action against the budget cuts. Who will actually take the ORF top job for a five-year term starting in 2027 will be determined by late afternoon.