In Austria, the most important election of the year will take place next Tuesday. It is decided by 35 people. In a curious body called the Board of Trustees, you decide who will lead the fortunes of ORF until 2027. It’s not just about the only media company in the country with a turnover of more than one billion euros – it’s about a lot more, as is Cathrin Kahlweit in her text “Who does Chancellor Kurz want?” described.
It is about the access of the parties to the ORF, which despite catching up private competition with four television as well as three nationwide and nine regional radio programs, the largest online portal in the country and teletext is still the largest media organ in the country.
This is precisely why the ORF is in the stranglehold of the parties, which is more immediate and bolder than one can even begin to imagine in the public-law system in Germany (whose rights have just been strengthened by the Federal Constitutional Court, read more here). Whoever wants to become something needs the right “Kastl”, the party-political classification. This applies to correspondents as well as to editors-in-chief or even the position of general director.
Chancellor Kurz likes to speak to editors-in-chief personally on the phone
The company and its employees have been guaranteed independence in a federal constitutional law since 1974. But in Austria the real constitution applies, and according to this understanding, the law does not come from the people, but rather the parties take the right out of it – by securing access to the media and creating a dependency. The fourth power in the state at the helm of the parties.
That was already the case in Austria under social democratic chancellors and is no different under the conservative Sebastian Kurz. The incumbent Chancellor likes to pick up the phone personally and call editors-in-chief – especially when it comes to reporting on opinion polls, which seems to be particularly important to him.
This year, on the grounds of Corona, the cornucopia of media funding will be distributed even more abundantly, mainly via the tabloid media – a total of 67 million euros flow from tax revenues. And politics can also intervene in the ORF to control it by sending people into management positions who promise the most direct access. That is all that matters.
It’s not about economic competence or even concepts for the digital future – by the way, of a company that, in contrast to the third ARD programs such as Bayrischer Rundfunk, has not even brought together a digital player.
Relevant competence is also not expected from the board of trustees, although they decide on management staff, budget and program scheme. Only three have experience in the media sector – some years ago (PR is not one of them). For this, 32 of the 35 members are politically assigned because they are appointed by the federal government, the state governments or other bodies where parties again play a role.
Before meetings one meets to vote in “circles of friends”
And that’s why there is someone like the operator of a baby hotel in this powerful circle, who boasts that he has “common sense and the view of the average viewer” – “I’ve been doing well with him so far”, after all for 13 years. Active politicians and party employees are not allowed to be represented, but former ones are – the chairman of the foundation council is Norbert Steger from the FPÖ, he was Vice Chancellor of the Republic from 1983 to 1987.
Before meetings, one meets to vote in the so-called circle of friends of the respective parties. Since this body, which is actually responsible for the control of the ORF, appeared at a meeting of ÖVP sympathizers at the beginning of July, not only the Chancellor’s media officer Gerald Fleischmann, but also ORF Deputy Finance Director Roland Weißmann, this is considered a favorite. An ÖVP wish to disempower Gerald Heidegger as the sole ORF.at editor-in-chief and to provide him with a co-editor-in-chief, Weißmann fulfilled as ORF.at managing director.
The previous ORF boss Alexander Wrabetz, who trades as a social democrat, has kept his office with all sorts of promises since 2007 – simply adjusting to the prevailing political constellation like a chameleon. He could benefit from the fact that one or the other board of trustees votes for Lisa Totzauer, the other “bourgeois” candidate.
At least two editors-in-chief of newspapers were approached by ÖVP representatives as to whether they would not apply – but none of them was found among the 14 self-appointed candidates. There is also no one with international experience – in the absence of party political anchoring in Austria, he or she would not have a chance anyway.
18 votes are needed for the freestyle, the “Circle of Friends” of the ÖVP-related board of trustees comprises 16 members, four more are included in the bourgeois camp. That could be enough for Weißmann – unless Wrabetz promises more. This is not a fair choice, but an unworthy haggling in and about public broadcasting in Austria.
This column will also appear on August 6, 2021 in Austria newsletterwhich bundles the reporting on Austria in the SZ. Register here for free.