Rbb director Schlesinger wants to make the test result transparent
Rbb director Patricia Schlesinger wants a transparent explanation of the allegations
Source: pa/dpa/Paul Zinken
An external audit should clarify whether the rbb director Schlesinger has exceeded certain limits to the board of directors. Schlesinger wants to communicate the result transparently. After the allegations, employees spoke of a “climate of fear”.
IDirector Patricia Schlesinger has promised the staff of Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (rbb) transparency in the clarification of all allegations in the room. “I am very confident that the external audit that has now been initiated can confirm our current state of knowledge. Whatever the end result, we will treat it transparently,” said the rbb boss in a response to a fire letter from the staff council, editorial committee and freelance representation – both letters are available from the German Press Agency in Berlin. The “Tagesspiegel” reported about it first.
“Rbb and I personally will support this process to the best of our ability,” stressed Schlesinger. “If errors or omissions are found, we will present them transparently.” At the same time, she rejected the allegations made by the “Business Insider” portal, which, like WELT, belongs to the Axel Springer publishing house.
The representatives of the employees had warned in the joint statement, which is available to the dpa: “All allegations in the room must be cleared up immediately in order to restore the shaken trust.” A “purely legal review” will not be sufficient. Intendant Schlesinger “right at the beginning of the staff meeting created a climate of fear and distrust with threats and accusations”.
The “Business Insider” portal had started criticizing the capital broadcaster days ago. The case is very convoluted. In essence, the question was asked whether certain limits could have been exceeded in the professional relationship between Schlesinger and the rbb board of directors and whether conflicts of interest were dealt with too laxly.
According to rbb, compliance rules were not exceeded
As an example, “Business Insider” cited the awarding of consultancy contracts with rbb. The broadcaster, on the other hand, pointed out that there was no evidence that anything outside of the so-called compliance rules – these are guidelines that a company gives itself – had happened. There was also talk of dinner with catering service for invited guests in Schlesinger’s private apartment.
According to the broadcaster, the investigation includes, for example, the awarding of contracts to consultants for the planned construction project for the digital media house in Berlin, the settlement of official dinner invitations by the director and contractual relationships with Messe Berlin, insofar as these relate to rbb. The media house on the broadcasting site at the Berlin-Charlottenburg site is to be built by 2026 and will promote cross-media work by the editorial team.