Status: 08/15/2022 8:19 p.m
The Broadcasting Council of Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg has dismissed Patricia Schlesinger as artistic director. She had resigned after numerous allegations as the head of the station. The board of directors must now clarify the details of the termination of the contract.
The Broadcasting Council rbb has dismissed Patricia Schlesinger as artistic director with immediate effect. The chairwoman of the committee, Friederike von Kirchbach, said the reasons lay “in the person” of Patricia Schlesinger. They justified an extraordinary dismissal. The decision was made with 22 votes in favor of dismissal and one abstention – with no dissenting votes.
Formally, the decision initiates the termination of the contract. Next is the one rbb– Board of Directors on the train. Kirchbach said she could not say anything about details such as a possible severance payment or possible claims for damages by the broadcaster against Schlesinger.
Friederike von Kirchbach, chairwoman of the rbb broadcasting council, on Patricia Schlesinger’s dismissal
8/15/2022 7:18 p.m
According to a report in the “Süddeutsche Zeitung”, Schlesinger himself commented on some of the allegations against her at the beginning of the Broadcasting Council meeting and apologized. “I overlooked some things, including and especially the displeasure of the employees. I’m so sorry,” she said in her speech manuscript. Accordingly, some things wanted to explain and “put right”.
Allegations of nepotism and favoritism
Schlesinger was after allegations of nepotism and favoritism resigned as broadcaster. A few days earlier she already had hers retreat as ARD-Boss started. Schlesinger rejects all allegations.
The case deals with details such as controversial consultancy contracts for a company that has since been put on hold rbbconstruction project, an expensive company car for Schlesinger with a massage seat, catering for guests in her private apartment rbb-Costs, a hefty salary increase for Schlesinger by 16 percent to 303,000 euros plus a bonus system for executives, which the broadcaster has so far kept under wraps. The renovation of the executive floor with expensive furniture for 1.4 million euros also caused resentment.
Sender hands over files to investigators
Also the Berlin Public Prosecutor’s Office determined against Schlesinger and other people. According to information from a rbb-Internal research teams, the broadcaster secured electronic files and e-mail inboxes of the directorship, the legal directorate, the administrative directorate and the committee office and handed them over to the Berlin public prosecutor’s office.
It is also determined against also resigned rbb-Chief Controller Wolf-Dieter Wolf. He also denied the allegations. In addition, it is about questionable orders for Schlesinger’s husband Gerhard Spörl at Messe Berlin, where Wolf was also head of the supervisory board until his resignation there.
Editor demands disclosure of all bonuses
Even before the meeting of the Broadcasting Council, the editorial committee of the rbb demanded that all bonuses agreed in-house had to be disclosed in the broadcaster. In the statement “All open!” Members called on the Broadcasting Council to do everything possible at its meeting to disclose all contracts, bonuses, performance-based salary components, bonuses, business, economic and special reports in the station. The Broadcasting Council must also face up to its responsibility – it is questionable how it could have happened that all control mechanisms had apparently failed.