Uncontrolled growth in social media: countless accesses to Instagram and Co. for only one public service broadcaster will in future be financed by all Austrians.
The new ORF law will bring more freedom online from 2024. More freedom? Anyone who takes a look at social media will hardly have the feeling that the ORF is being restricted here. A quick search on Instagram yields at least 25 different accounts for just one broadcaster – federal state channels, profiles for individual programs such as “Dancing Stars”, a separate account for the Brussels correspondents or news channels for “ZiB” and orf.at – notably the news items tend to overlap in content.
After the ORF has already spread on the Internet with its website orf.at and thus increasingly endangered healthy competition from private media, which do not collect fees, it now apparently also wants to become an influencer. “ZiB” alone has a total of 2.4 million followers on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. The use of so many accounts, more of which are also on Facebook and TikTok, naturally requires staff and therefore money. In addition, if you have multiple accounts, you can also use the blue verification hooks, which are now for a fee.
Third wouldn’t miss ORF
Who pays this? At the moment all those who pay for GIS, from next year all Austrians will have to pay the “ORF contribution” or household contribution due to the new mandatory fee – regardless of whether they want to see the “ZiB” on TikTok or not . For example, 710 million euros must be raised annually.
And with the new ORF law, another online offensive is planned: even more content and programs on the Internet, online-only offers and a special streaming player that will replace the TV store. The aim is to convince the young target group between the ages of 18 and 34 in particular that they are not paying the new contribution for nothing. According to a survey, a third of Austrians would not want to miss ORF at all, whether on TV or online, is still consistently ignored.
Source: Krone
I am Ida Scott, a journalist and content author with a passion for uncovering the truth. I have been writing professionally for Today Times Live since 2020 and specialize in political news. My career began when I was just 17; I had already developed a knack for research and an eye for detail which made me stand out from my peers.
