ORF Lower Austria: Launch of a call for bids for a country manager

The ORF state studio in Lower Austria just got a new boss. On Tuesday, Public Radio published the announcement of the position of St. Polten’s State Manager for the period from 1.4. 2023 to 31/12. Launched in 2026. Applications must have reached ORF Managing Director Roland Weißmann by March 14, 2023 at the latest. This means that the new country director can already be chosen at the institution’s board meeting on March 23. Former ORF2 channel director and chief entertainment officer Alexander Hofer is the favorite to succeed Robert Ziegler.

For appointment, “Proof of relevant previous training or at least five years of relevant or relevant professional experience and the legal grounds for exclusion (Section 26 of the ORF) are specifically indicated.” Applicants for the position advertised are required to state the reasons they show suitable for occupation. Applications from women are particularly welcome. The annual salary as ORF Regional Director is at least €86,592.91.

Ziegler made his position as state director available after he was accused of influencing state studio reporting in favor of the ÖVP during his tenure as editor-in-chief. In this context, Weissmann set up his own investigative committee headed by former director Gerhard Draxler. However, this issue played a major role in the election campaign in Lower Austria, one of the reasons for the deep-rooted turquoise/black resentment against the ORF and its boss. It was initiated through media reports based on recordings from the ORF editing system. According to the ORF, Ziegler should be in the Pius Strobl, piloted by the Pius Division of Humanitarian Broadcasting Take care of the further expansion of accessibility in ORF offerings.