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🇦🇹 Austria /Elections & Politics

‘Those who harm ORF should be removable,’ says board expert Medwenitsch on reform

From Der Standard · () German

Translated from German and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

Interview Named sources New plan
  • Franz Medwenitsch, who spent nearly two decades on the ORF Foundation Council, has proposed changes to the broadcaster’s governance.
  • He says the council is too large for an effective supervisory board and that officials who damage ORF should be removable.
  • The Austrian government plans to reform ORF bodies to make them more citizen-oriented and independent.

Franz Medwenitsch believes the ORF Foundation Council is simply too large to function as a supervisory board. After almost two decades on the body, including 15 years as its deputy chairman, he says the broadcaster needs a structural overhaul.

Those who harm ORF should be removable.

· Franz MedwenitschMedwenitsch argues that ORF officials who damage the broadcaster should be able to lose their positions.

“Improvable are the design of the supervisory bodies, the single-director principle and governance in general,” Medwenitsch said ahead of next week’s ORF “Future Forum,” organized by the Ministry of Media.

The government has set out to reform ORF’s governing bodies, promising structures that are closer to citizens and more independent. Medwenitsch, a lawyer and former long-serving council member who now advises on culture, business and media, says the current system needs to move beyond what he calls a routine approach to appointments.

For a supervisory board, it is far too large.

· Franz MedwenitschHe criticizes the size of the ORF Foundation Council.

He also argues that people who harm ORF should be able to lose their positions. In his view, the reform must address not only the size of the Foundation Council, but also the concentration of authority in a single director and the wider rules governing the broadcaster.

The design of the supervisory bodies, the single-director principle and governance in general are improvable.

· Franz MedwenitschHe identifies the main areas that should change in the planned ORF reform.
About this summary

Originally published by Der Standard in German. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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