Since the conversion of the GIS fee to a budget tax, every Austrian budget has to pay 15.30 ꞓ per month for the ORF program. This post should now remain frozen by the end of 2029. The Constitutional Committee of the National Council has taken a corresponding decision today. With the votes of ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS, he sent an amendment to the ORF law into the plenum, which according to the premium restriction currently applicable by the end of 2026 was extended by three years. At the same time, changes are made as a result of a VfGH judgment when ordering the board of trustees and the public council. Criticism of the “Reförmchen” comes from the opposition, but the demand for the FPÖ after a complete abolition of the ORF budgetary levy was just as little a majority as a motion for a resolution by the Greens.
Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler emphasized in the committee that the amendment to the law not only implemented VfGH knowledge to the ORF bodies. This also sees the independence of the ORF strengthened and secured its financial basis – while at the same time being careful on the asparagus. BABLER also confirmed the government’s project to reduce advertising expenditure.
Less weight of the government on the board of trustees and on the public councilor
The new legal provisions were technically installed in a common Application from ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS, which originally only contained the elimination of an editorial event. With the change in the modalities for the appointment of the ORF foundation council and the ORF audience council, the coalition parties meet an order from the Constitutional Court. As early as October 2023, the latter had found that the federal government had too much weight and too much freedom of decision in the occupation of the two committees and that the pluralism aspect required was therefore not sufficiently taken into account.
Now the number of the board of trustees appointed by the government is reduced from nine to six, while the public council can send nine members to the 35-member body instead of six in the future. In addition, when ordering “its” foundation council: in the future, the government must pay more attention to relevant professional qualifications and training as well as technical balance in the foundation council. According to the law, the search for prospect must be written out publicly. The other foundation councils are ordered as before by the federal states (9), the parliamentary parties (6) and the Central Works Council (5), whereby the quality requirements are also subsequently sharpened.
In addition, the composition of the public council will also change: instead of 30 members, it will only have 28, whereby the federal government – at the proposal of various institutions and organizations – in future, is determined by exactly half of them, i.e. 14 instead of the 17th proposal as before are institutions and organizations that are representative of certain areas or groups such as universities, education, sports, youth, older people and environmental protection in the future, Train proposals are stopped. The remaining public council: Inside, various representatives of interest, the Roman Catholic Church, the Evangelical Church, the Party Academies and the Academy of Sciences are still ordered, in addition there is a fixed member to be appointed by the umbrella organization of social security institutions.
Both the board of trustees and the public council should be re -constituted after the new provisions come into force, whereby the new term of office should begin on June 17, 2025. The task of the Board of Trustees is, among other things, the election of the ORF general director and the ORF general. The public council is supposed to keep the interests of the listeners: inside and seer: in the inside.
FPÖ insists on the abolition of the ORF contribution
Criticism of both FPÖ and the Greens expressed criticism both of the content of the legal repair and the procedure of the government. She received the amendment of “Today” and “Austria”, the managing club chairman of the Greens Sigrid Maurer said: “They had the application and we didn’t.” According to the FPÖ MP Christian Hafenecker, he was only sent to the committee members at 5.16 p.m. and thus less than two hours before the committee. That is a practice that cannot be tolerated. In view of the procedure, the Greens demanded a staggeration of the consultations, but could not prevail.
In terms of content, Hafenecker cannot gain much to the application. That is not a reform, but a “reförmchen”, he complained. Politics and chambers would continue to have a major impact on the ORF. According to Hafeneck, there was a “total reform” of the ORF, and you also have to get away from the “forced fee system”. A present FPÖ decision-making application (80/A (e)), however, did not find a majority. Hafenecker and his group colleague Michael Schilchegger suggest to finance the ORF instead of a budget levy via the budget. The ORF already receives money from the budget in addition to the ORF contributions and advertising revenue, Schilchegger claimed.
Greens for more independence of the ORF bodies
The managing club chairwoman of the Greens also doubts that the new provisions reduce the political influence on ORF. Rather, she spoke of a “minimum solution with some curiosities”. For example, she questioned the new procedure for ordering the public council: inside. In addition, it is incomprehensible to them why, for example, driver organizations could nominate a member of the public council, but not apprentices. It also misses legal provisions on gender parity in the committees and protection of the FM4 radio program and the Radio Symphony Orchestra (RSO).
Maurer himself advocated reducing the board of trustees and enabling secret votes. In addition, qualified majorities should be necessary for important decisions. That would strengthen ORF in its independence, she is convinced. For a corresponding decision -making application (107/A (e)), however, could not win any other faction. He would also have provided a mandatory gender parity in both the board of trustees as well as on the public council and the establishment of an ombudsman for the concerns of the audience.
Neos against budget financing of the ORF
The amendment of the coalition parties of MEP Klaus RASHEIM (SPÖ) was brought in. He was pleased that it was possible to find an committee date, he said, and at the same time, like several other MPs, apologized for the late delivery of the amendment. With the amendment to the law, the public council would be strengthened, among other things, and the qualification requirements would also be increased. The new ordering option after a change of government was also deleted.
Henrike Brandstötter (Neos) pointed out that the coalition parties had agreed to divide the ORF reform into two parts. With the present amendment to the law, only urgent measures would be implemented, whereby it also expects more professionalism in the Board of Trustees. Subsequently, it is about making ORF slimmer and digital. However, this process must “be set up properly”. To request the FPÖ after a budget financing of the ORF, Brandstötter noted that the budget levy was not perfect, but still better than budget financing. After all, the ORF should be less align with politics, but to the citizens.
ÖVP sees the ORF bodry system confirmed by VFGH
On the part of the ÖVP, former media minister Susanne Raab asserted that the Constitutional Court had largely confirmed the ORF bias system that has existed for many decades. Both the composition of the Board of Trustees and those of the public council were rated as constitutional in the principles. The orders that the VfGH had given to politics would now be implemented. It is about making more balance. The public council “has” the width of the company to the board of trustees, “she said. Her party colleague Kurt Egger emphasized that the black and green government had achieved a lot in recent years to secure the media location.
Vice-Chancellor Babler stated that the comments from green MP Maurer noted that the coalition had agreed not to change anything on those groups and areas that can contribute to the ORF public council. The FM4 radio program is in the ORF law, and the RSO was also secured by 2026.
Greens demand tripling of the funding for quality journalism
The Constitutional Committee has postponed the consultations about an application from the Greens (108/A (e)), which aims to tripled the funding for quality journalism in the print and online area. Since the drainage of advertising gelders to international digital companies ripes large holes into the budgets of domestic media companies, they need further funding to ensure media diversity.
In the opinion of MARER MAURER, the additional funding could be financed by completing “senseless advertisements” to apply for the Federal Government. With advertisements, information needs from the citizens should be met, but this legal requirement is not always taken into account, she criticized. Instead, money would be put in image campaigns.
BABLER: In the case of quality journalism funding, government will not save
It is not to be expected that the Greens’ claim will be taken into account in the foreseeable future. Sabine Schatz (SPÖ) pointed out the existing budgetary challenges that would also affect the media plans of the government parties such as subscription and start-up funding. However, Vice Chancellor Andreas Babler assured that the quality journalism funding will not be saved. At the same time, he confirmed the government project to reduce the advertising budget by 10 %.
FPÖ Member of the Hafenecker does not believe in an expansion of quality funding for media. The applicable law does not promote media diversity, he is convinced. Rather, only “system media” would be kept in a “closed cycle”. Those who are a quality medium decide the KommaUstria. (Conclusion) GS