More economical, smaller and closer to the customer: Austrians are calling for cuts in the state broadcaster. The ORF is also fighting self-made criticism.
High luxury salaries (see graph below), lucrative part-time jobs and politically questionable dossiers. The ORF has been increasingly in the news lately. Debates about the illegal composition of various committees and about the budget levy, which should yield the broadcaster some 722 million euros this year, but which is controversial among citizens, further fuel the discourse about the future of public broadcasting.
After the National Council elections and until March 31, politicians now have time to fix at least parts of the questionable ORF law.
If media companies throughout Austria get their way, the blue side of the station should also get the red card. Gerald Grünberger, director of the Association of Austrian Newspapers (VÖZ), criticized the fact that the “newspaper-like resemblance” of the ORF.at website had not changed as a result of the ORF law. The law is a “sham package” because it allows ORF overview reporting and other online orders to be combined on the “blue page” and more than the required 350 text messages per week.
Weissmann rejected the allegations
Managing Director Roland Weißmann rejected the accusations – and pointed out that the legal requirements had been met. Which of these requirements should now be changed? And what will happen next with the mandatory tax of 15.30 euros per household? One thing is certain: according to a survey by Peter Hajek’s Unique Research Institute, almost three quarters of all Austrians want the ORF to continue to exist, but smaller, more economical and closer to the customers. Peter Westenthaler, who was appointed to the board of directors by the FPÖ, expressed an even clearer opinion. After his appointment, he described the station as “completely crazy”.
Old contracts, “disproportionate impact”?
Accusations that the ORF center on Küniglberg firmly rejects. “The ORF handles donor funds very carefully, in accordance with the principles of thrift, economy and practicality,” it says. The management of the ORF is also continuously monitored by the supervisory authorities, the audit committee, the Court of Auditors, etc. The ORF is one of the most monitored companies. The station says that it has cut around 900 full-time jobs since 2007. Regarding the ORF’s high average salary of 91,000 euros per year, the broadcaster notes that “the old, more expensive contract systems have a disproportionate effect.”
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.
