ORF Dignitaries Speak Out with an Appeal

"There have been repeated fierce disputes about the ORF. But never before, despite all controversies, has a political party threatened to eliminate the financial independence of the ORF, radically cut its budget, and directly interfere with its reporting," states the appeal from the ORF dignitaries, without mentioning the FPÖ by name.

ORF Dignitaries: Budget Financing Removes ORF's "Solid Financial Independence"

Another blatant threat facing the ORF is the financing from the public budget sought by the Freedom Party. "The basis for a public service broadcaster is a clear distance from party politics and solid financial independence through audience contributions. The current considerations to finance the ORF from the state budget would have the opposite effect," the signatories appeal to the political leaders not to destroy the independence of the ORF. Among the prominent names supporting the text are journalism doyenne Barbara Coudenhove-Kalergi, former Paris correspondent Lorenz Gallmetzer, former Brussels bureau chief Raimund Löw, legendary war reporter Fritz Orter, Italy correspondent Mathilde Schwabeneder, and former ZiB frontwoman Hannelore Veit.

Criticism came immediately from FPÖ media spokesperson Christian Hafenecker, who referred to the former editors in a statement as "old left-wing ORF luxury pensioners" who would fuel a "horror story" fantasized by the public broadcaster. He emphasized that standing up for press and freedom of expression as well as a pluralistic media landscape has "always been, since 1848, an essential part of the Freedom Party's DNA." The FPÖ stands "for a reform of the ORF and an end to the household levy, which is legitimate and also supported by a large part of the population." In other countries in Europe that do not finance their public broadcasters through broadcasting fees, "the 'dictatorship hell' has not broken out."

(APA/Red)

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