Status: 06.09.2022 5:30 p.m
Of the rbb informed ARD early on about its bonus system for executives. This emerges from an internal letter. Of the ARDChairman Tom Buhrow denies knowing about the bonuses.
Already in March 2018 the rbb-Top informed the ARD about the introduction of a bonus system for executives. To the rbb-Research team* has received a letter informing about “a new remuneration system for non-tariff employees”. It is dated March 15, 2018, and lists April 1, two weeks later, as the date for the introduction of the new system.
The press office of Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (rbb) confirmed the existence of such a letter on Tuesday morning. Also West German Broadcasting (WDR) admitted: “that […] The letter mentioned was sent to all directors and committees in 2018”. The broadcaster currently chairs the ARD and speaks on behalf of all state broadcasters.
In August, due to the Schlesinger affair, WDR canceled the ARD-Chaired. Tom Buhrow, since 2013 WDR-Intendant, has repeatedly stated publicly that he was not aware of the bonus system. The press office of his broadcaster has now announced that it is in communication with him rbb never mentioned “bonuses”. Neither the extent of the additional payments was mentioned, “nor the fact that these payments were not made transparent”.
Directors and supervisory bodies have been informed
The letter was signed by those who have since been dismissed without notice rbb-Intendant Patricia Schlesinger and Wolf-Dieter Wolf, until recently Chairman of the Board of Directors.
The addressee at that time is explicitly named as the addressee in the cover letter ARD-Chairwoman Ulrich Wilhelm, 2018 director of Bavarian Broadcasting, Wilhelm’s predecessor in the ARD-Chair Karola Willem, director of the MDR and Lorenz Wolf, then chairman of the BR-Broadcasting Council.
The basic design of the bonus system is presented in the letter. In the future, the management – i.e. the directors and the director – should benefit from a “variable remuneration system”. This is referred to as the “core ingredient”.
Basic function of the rbb bonus system shown
Already under Schlesinger’s predecessor there were rbb performance-based bonuses. However, only the station’s middle management could benefit from this – the main department heads. The potential bonuses were also far lower, and the goals were said to be more difficult to achieve. Schlesinger and Wolf-Dieter Wolf announced at the time that this system would now be “modernized”.
In the letter, they describe that there can be both a malus and a bonus for the management, depending on the fulfillment of defined requirements: “If the goals are not achieved, the members of the management lose more than eight percent of their base salary, if they fully achieve their goals, they can earn more than gain 10 percent.”
In terms of employment law, it is irrelevant whether additional salary components are designated as bonuses, commissions, special payments, performance-related remuneration or bonuses. All of these terms basically mean the same thing: payments, on top of a base salary and tied to agreed terms.
“Unique in public service broadcasting”
The letter states that this “unique in public broadcasting” system will rbb themselves “in the non-tariff area […] the remuneration principles of the free economy”. In this way, the broadcaster will promote “the willingness to perform and the motivation of its executives”.
The basis is the concept of an external consulting company, according to Schlesinger and Wolf to the others ARD-Upper. The text ends with an offer: “We are at your disposal for detailed information.”
Former colleagues at a distance
After Schlesinger was dismissed as director in August, her former colleagues in the other state broadcasters distanced themselves from the remaining rbb management. “We, the directors of the ARDno longer have confidence that the station’s management will be able to process the various incidents quickly enough,” said Buhrow in his function as ARD– Quote the chairman.
A lack of information about the bonus system is said to have played a role in this step, the dpa news agency reported at the time. On Friday, Buhrow repeated his statement to the media committee of the state parliament of Saxony-Anhalt that he only found out about the bonus system in the wake of the Schlesinger scandal. In addition to Buhrow on Friday, among other things, the director of the MDR Karola Wille answered questions from the MPs in Magdeburg.
According to the “Mitteldeutsche Zeitung”, Buhrow said, “performance-related payments […] be” previously only during a meeting of the HR managers of ARD and ZDF came up. This was previously revealed by the ZDF magazine “Frontal”.
“State broadcasters decide autonomously on salary structures”
On Tuesday afternoon, the WDR-press office with that rbb have the ARD “Various” reports of the introduction of variable salary components. “The extent of these additional payments has not been made clear. Even after the payments became known, it was denied that they were additional bonuses.”
It goes on to say: “The introduction of variable salary components at rbb was also therefore in the ARD not deepened further, since all state broadcasting corporations decide autonomously on their salary structure.”
Of the rbb-The board of directors has meanwhile decided to abolish the bonus system for top broadcasters. The members of the management board should no longer receive any corresponding payments in the future, existing contracts should be adjusted if possible.
*The rbb research team consists of René Althammer, Jo Goll, Daniel Laufer and Oliver Noffke. It researches the allegations against the rbb leadership, works independently and is not bound by instructions.