ORF Chief Weißmann on Austerity Measures and Israel at the Eurovision Song Contest 2026 in Vienna

"We will have to continue to pursue a strict austerity course in the house," said ORF Director General Roland Weißmann. "The savings will affect the entire house. With such a package, there's no other way." "Ideally, the audience will notice as little of it as possible, because we will essentially maintain our range of offerings."

ORF Chief Weißmann Hopes for Moderate Wage Round

The Austrian aspect will continue to be strengthened - including some reunions with hits from the past. "I am particularly looking forward to the comeback of 'Kommissar Rex'," assured Weißmann, who also announced new episodes of the series "Braunschlag" and "MA 2412", has already seen an episode of the next "Biester" season, and also knows which couple will follow the current Austro-"Tatort" investigator duo Harald Krassnitzer and Adele Neuhauser - but is not revealing it yet.

However, Weißmann does not yet know whether the reduction in personnel costs can be managed with the "strict non-replacement policy" and the ongoing handshake program: "I rule nothing out!" The current exit offer "could be accepted even more. There is still some potential. But it is important to prevent a brain drain." It is equally important to achieve a moderate salary agreement for ORF employees, as in the past three years, below the inflation rate. "We have to make sure we continue in this way." An initial round of negotiations already took place in the summer - around 15 such rounds were held last year before an agreement was reached.

The freezing of the current household levy of 15.30 euros per household per month until 2029, decided by the federal government, puts the company under budgetary pressure, said Weißmann, who nevertheless showed general satisfaction with the market situation. In television, they have the best marketing values in ten years ("TV works very well."), ORF On remains "by far the most used thematic platform." A cooperation with the streaming platform Joyn also contributed to this in the initial phase "as a booster rocket," he admitted. This is limited. However, if the sale of the ProSiebenSat.1Puls4 group, which also includes Joyn, to the Berlusconi group Media for Europe (MFE) is to be problematized in the Foundation Council on September 11, "we will discuss it," said Weißmann. Whether the new Freedom of Information Act ("I see this positively!") will make the Foundation Council minutes accessible to the public upon request in the future, "we have to look into it."

Eurovision Song Contest 2026: ORF Chief Weißmann Would Welcome Israel's Participation

2026 will be "a great year on TV," assured the ORF Director General. This includes major sporting events such as the Football World Cup and the Winter Olympics, as well as the Eurovision Song Contest (ESC) held in Vienna. In the summer, there was an open letter from cultural creators warning against "cutting back on ORF cultural news and ORF cultural programs" and appealing not to use funds from the arts and culture sector to finance the hosting of the Song Contest. He responded to the letter but does not understand this discussion within the cultural scene at all. "One should be happy that Austria is once again becoming a stage for the world!" As a host, he would welcome Israel's participation in the ESC. However, the decision on participation initially lies with Israel's public broadcaster Kan and should be made by the end of the year.

While a new initiative for more media literacy among young people will be launched at the beginning of October, reaching around 3,000 students per year at the ORF center, but many more with short videos, all renovation work at the Küniglberg site, decided and approved as a package, will be completed by the end of 2025. This will be achieved on time and under the approved budget of 304 million euros, said Weißmann. However, this does not mean that construction work at the ORF center will be history by this date. Additional measures (such as the new construction of the entrance area, which caused a stir in the Foundation Council), which were added later to leverage synergies on the construction site, "will be postponed until we are financially better off again. We will wait a few more years - like any normal homeowner."

The 56-year-old company chief also wants to wait before announcing whether he will run for a new five-year term in the next election in 2026. "Now is not the time to start an election campaign. A false start is a bad start. I still have enough to do."

(APA/Red)

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