ORF gets household levy and still has to save

by time news

DAccording to the will of the “turquoise-green” government in Vienna, the Austrian public broadcasting service is to be financed by a household levy, similar to that in Germany. For the ORF, it is intended to replace the previous device-dependent collection of fees (GIS). This was reported unanimously before a meeting of the ORF Foundation Council (that is the name of the politically dominated supervisory body) on Monday afternoon. This would significantly expand the revenue base, and there is talk of several hundred thousand additional payers. Nevertheless, the ORF has to put together a large savings package at the same time: 300 million euros by 2026.

Because on the one hand, according to the government’s specifications, the contribution for the individual should at least decrease slightly. Above all, an annual loss of 70 to 130 million euros would have threatened anyway if the income situation had not changed. ORF General Director Roland Weißmann announced this forecast at the end of last year. The reason, it was said at the time, was inflation and high energy costs, but also expected GIS cancellations.

The Austrian Media Minister Susanne Raab (ÖVP).


The Austrian Media Minister Susanne Raab (ÖVP).
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Image: dpa

“ORF discount” for more acceptance

To date, the ORF has received 676 million euros per year from the GIS. Media Minister Susanne Raab (ÖVP) has called for an “ORF discount”, i.e. that the fee for the individual decreases. This is intended to improve acceptance of the changeover, which was not a project of this government but was forced by the Constitutional Court. The court had criticized the “streaming gap”, i.e. that users of ORF’s online offers do not have to pay anything for it.

So far, households with at least one receiver have had to pay between 22.45 and 28.65 euros. The spread is due to the fact that the GIS fee does not only benefit the ORF. The federal government collects (in addition to sales tax) two euros, with which private broadcasting is promoted. And the federal states are also allowed to levy a surcharge, which is between zero (in Vorarlberg and Upper Austria) and 6.20 euros. Countries spend the money on cultural or social charities or just put it into their national budget. It is doubtful that the government has the power to shake up this bizarre construction.

The survey and control of the GIS alone costs the ORF 40 million euros a year, so there is some potential for savings. But you also have to cut into the substance. The following were rumored as possible prank candidates: the radio symphony orchestra, the special interest channels Sport Plus or ORF III (culture) as well as previous streaming portals that could be embedded in a future streaming concept. The niche channels are mentioned in the ORF law, but must therefore only be operated “in accordance with the extent of economic viability”.

After the meeting of the board of trustees, ORF director Roland Weißmann confirmed that his station would save around 300 million euros by 2026. He presented a corresponding concept to the Board of Trustees. This could mean the end for the ORF Radio Symphony Orchestra (RSO). The ORF Sport + channel could migrate to the ORF 1 program and the digital offer. The fee company GIS is to be downsized, it said. “The ORF has always saved in the past,” said Weißmann after the meeting.

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