Secret Extension

ORF Chief Ingrid Thurnher Will Stay On After All

The ORF confirms: Thurnher will remain with the public broadcaster until “mid-2027.”(Bild: APA/MAX SLOVENCIK)

Ingrid Thurnher will step down from her position as ORF Director General on January 1—but she’ll remain with the network and complete a final half-term. What’s behind this decision, and what consequences might it have for other ORF stars...

Six months and a contract clause: That’s all that stands between the end of the Thurnher era and her retirement. In response to an inquiry from “Krone,” the ORF confirmed that the Director General’s term will end on December 31, 2026.

Advisory role planned
She will then retire in mid-2027. In the meantime, “Ingrid Thurnher will return to her position as an ORF employee, as stipulated in her contract.” But what is she supposed to do there? According to the ORF, the new management under Clemens Pig “will rely on her expertise, particularly in the development and implementation of cost-saving and restructuring measures.” The ORF does not explicitly state what role she will assume.

Will Dittlbacher have to step down?
And perhaps for good reason. Before Thurnher became director of radio, she served as editor-in-chief of ORF III for five years. Thurnher cannot become director of radio, as the new executive board takes office on January 1. And her successor at ORF III since 2022 has been former “ZiB 2” anchor Lou Lorenz-Dittlbacher. Since the dismissal of ORF III Managing Director Peter Schöber, she has also been responsible for programming. This means that if the return clause sends the former general director back to her old desk, Lorenz-Dittlbacher would find herself facing her predecessor—and also her former boss.

This is doubly intriguing because ORF III itself is on the chopping block. In her memo to staff, Thurnher explicitly mentioned the “future organization of ORF III” as an issue. The woman who has a say in the channel’s future could soon be working there again.

In any case, things will get down to business on November 26. The Foundation Board will approve the budget for 2027. As reported, up to 250 employees will have to leave by 2029. And the executive who is implementing the cost-cutting measures will now remain on the payroll longer—as an advisor to her successor.