Effective immediately

ORF Parts Ways with Advertising Director Oliver Böhm

Oliver Böhm (to the right of ORF Enterprise authorized signatory Heinz Mosser) was one of the “salary kings” at ORF.(Bild: Roman Zach-Kiesling)

ORF has dismissed its head of advertising, Oliver Böhm, without notice. An internal compliance audit concluded that his continued employment was not possible. Following Böhm’s dismissal, other ORF managers could now also come under pressure as part of the ongoing investigations.

Following the departure of Director General Roland Weißmann, the shake-up continues. As ORF confirmed on Monday, ORF Enterprise head Oliver Böhm was dismissed by Director General Ingrid Thurnher effective immediately. This was the result of an investigation into serious allegations conducted by the internal compliance office.

Compliance Office

This is an internal department within a company that ensures compliance with all legal regulations, official requirements, and internal guidelines.

Back in April, Thurnher had already placed Böhm on administrative leave and initiated an investigation into the allegations against him by the ORF compliance office— as reported by the “Krone.” External experts were also involved in the investigation, which has since been completed. The ORF stated that the investigation revealed “that, in several respects, behavior was exhibited that makes continued employment with the company impossible.”

No Specific Details on the Allegations
The specific allegations made against Böhm remain unknown. In any case, they are reportedly not related to sexual misconduct. The ORF cites the protection of personal rights as well as the protection of the employees involved and therefore does not provide any further details upon request.

Oliver Böhm had headed ORF-Enterprise since 2013. The division is responsible for marketing all of ORF’s national television and radio stations, as well as its digital offerings, Teletext, and “Nachlese.” It also handles the international distribution of ORF productions. Through these activities, ORF-Enterprise generates revenue of approximately 200 million euros per year. In the ORF’s transparency report, Böhm was most recently listed among the company’s three highest-paid executives.

Until a new management team is appointed, ORF-Enterprise will continue to be led by authorized signatory and CFO Heinz Mosser and authorized signatory Dorit Wolkenstein. The ORF stated that it “will set the course for the appointment of a new management team for ORF-Enterprise in the near future.”

More Turmoil at ORF
Things may also get tight for other ORF managers this week—after all, a major compliance initiative was launched after Ingrid Thurnher took over as head. These investigations are now set to be concluded and discussed by the Transparency Advisory Board. This is likely to uncover some unsavory practices. Even the controversial “salary king” Pius Strobl has reason to be nervous; after all, numerous reports and tips were submitted to the reporting office, and the media executive was suspended by Thurnher.