Mega Salaries at ORF Revealed: Who Cashes In the Most

On Monday, ORF published the transparency report required by the ORF Act for the second time. It shows that Ö3 presenter Robert Kratky continues to be the top earner in the public broadcasting house with a gross annual salary of approximately 472,700 euros. His salary increased by almost 30,000 euros compared to the previous year. ORF boss Roland Weißmann did not see a salary jump and ranks only third with approximately 427,500 euros.

ORF had to publish transparency report again

ORF is obliged to list the salaries of those employees who earn over 170,000 euros a year, including allowances. In total, this affects 71 people, 13 more than the previous year. The increase is attributed to the fact that the legally defined threshold for naming was not adjusted - unlike the salaries, as ORF noted alongside the publication of the transparency report.

The publication affects less than two percent of the workforce, ORF emphasized, assuring that measures are continuously being taken to further reduce personnel costs. Last year alone, 20 million euros were saved in the personnel area. Personnel are being replaced under more favorable conditions, and over ten people listed have already left ORF or will do so shortly.

Majority of ORF top earners in leadership positions - Kratky again in first place

The majority of the people on the list hold a director or management position, lead a main department, or have a power of attorney, which is associated with "considerable personnel and budget responsibility," according to ORF. Ahead of Weißmann is Pius Strobl with approximately 451,700 euros, who works as the Corporate Social Responsibility head at ORF and was responsible for the renovation of the ORF center at Küniglberg, including the construction of a new newsroom. ORF III program director Peter Schöber, who was accused by employees of bullying and verbal misconduct, prompting ORF to respond with a structural development, receives the fourth highest salary at ORF with approximately 301,300 euros. He ranks ahead of ORF directors Eva Schindlauer (approximately 280,000 euros), Stefanie Groiss-Horowitz, Ingrid Thurnher, and Harald Kräuter (each 270,270 euros), whose salaries were not increased.

The commercial director of ORF III, Kathrin Zierhut-Kunz, receives approximately 276,400 euros, slightly more than prominent ORF employees like Armin Wolf (approximately 267,000 euros), Peter Resetarits (approximately 221,000 euros), Christian Wehrschütz (approximately 210,900 euros), or Andreas Knoll (approximately 196,800 euros). The highest-earning regional director is Waltraud Langer (Salzburg) with approximately 258,800 euros. The chief editor trio of the multimedia ORF newsroom - Johannes Bruckenberger, Gabriele Waldner-Pammesberger, and Sebastian Prokop - earn between 182,000 and 186,000 euros.

Striking imbalance between men and women

Broken down by gender, it shows that only men earn over 300,000 euros. In the salary categories of 200,000 to 300,000 euros (24 men, 9 women) as well as 150,000 to 200,000 euros (60 men, 19 women) and 100,000 to 150,000 euros (502 men, 198 women), men are clearly ahead. In the two lowest salary classes (up to 50,000 euros and 50,000 to 75,000 euros), however, more women are represented.

Partly Generous Additional Income of ORF Moderators

Additional income, which the ORF wants to handle strictly, is also reported in the transparency report. Among the top earners, moderator Andreas Knoll receives the highest amount from additional income with an average of 9,800 euros gross per month. "ZiB 2" anchorman Armin Wolf earns an average of 7,500 euros per month in addition to his ORF salary. In comparison, Robert Kratky's additional income of 1,750 euros per month appears modest.

Exorbitant ORF Salaries "Incomprehensible" for Babler

Media Minister Andreas Babler (SPÖ) expects "measures" from the ORF leadership regarding the top ORF salaries. "Why there are top earners at ORF whose salary is higher than that of the Federal President, while at the same time performance cuts for the audience are being considered, is incomprehensible," said the Vice Chancellor on X.

The ORF is currently implementing a savings package amounting to 325 million euros by 2026. Additionally, it was decided last week in the National Council by ÖVP, SPÖ, and NEOS that the ORF fee of 15.30 euros per month per household will be frozen until 2029. Due to the lack of valorization, the ORF will miss out on approximately another 220 million euros. It is also costly for the public broadcaster that the income from the ORF fee may not exceed 710 million euros, which adds approximately another 100 million euros in savings needed in the coming years.

"That there is potential for savings at ORF has once again become clear. It is up to the ORF leadership to set the right priorities. The impression is growing that young employees without generous old contracts or the cameraman are not the ones to start with first," said ÖVP General Secretary Nico Marchetti in a statement. FPÖ General Secretary Christian Hafenecker also commented on the transparency report, identifying a "compulsory tax-funded privilege festival" and "salary excesses." "Action must finally be taken here - with a fundamental reform of the ORF and the abolition of the household levy," he said. Heinz-Christian Strache, chairman of Team HC Strache, saw it similarly. "What is happening at ORF is not public service broadcasting, but a fee-financed self-service at the expense of citizens and taxpayers," he stated, calling for the abolition of the ORF fee.

ORF 2 with Highest Advertising Revenue

Looking at the advertising revenue of the various ORF channels, the transparency report shows that ORF 2 was clearly at the top with approximately 76 million euros in 2024. It is followed by Ö3 with about 50 million euros, ahead of ORF 1 with approximately 47 million euros. ORF III brought in about 3.3 million euros in advertising revenue for the public broadcaster, FM4 about 2.3 million euros. These were modest for ORF Sport+ with 341,000 euros. ORF itself invested about 9 million euros in advertising measures.

(APA/Red)

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