Schlesinger is to be recalled on Monday with immediate effect
“Artistic directors who want to reform must be supported”
“We need public service broadcasting. In its current form, however, it cannot continue like this,” says WELT editor-in-chief Ulf Poschardt. The affair surrounding the resigned artistic director Patricia Schlesinger is an occasion for “bold reform steps”.
The term of office of the resigned RBB director Patricia Schlesinger could definitely come to an end on Monday. According to the resolution proposed by the Broadcasting Council, from which “Bild” quotes, a vote should be taken on the dismissal of the 61-year-old with immediate effect.
Dhe RBB Broadcasting Council wants to discuss the immediate termination of the contract of the resigned director Patricia Schlesinger, who is currently officially on vacation, on Monday afternoon from 4 p.m.
“Bild” quoted on Sunday evening from the draft resolution for the meeting: “The RBB broadcasting council recalls Patricia Schlesinger from her position as director of the RBB with immediate effect. The dismissal is due to reasons in the person of Ms. Schlesinger that would justify an extraordinary termination of the service contract by the RBB.
The reason is “the settlement of entertainment costs for an invitation with dinner in Ms. Schlesinger’s private apartment on February 12, 2022 to the RBB as official, although this was entirely or at least partially of a purely private nature.”
The control body with 30 seats currently includes 28 women and men who represent social trends, associations and politics. The chairperson is the evangelical theologian Friederike von Kirchbach.
Schlesinger had announced her resignation from the position at the head of the Berlin-Brandenburg radio station a week ago on Sunday. The background to this are allegations of nepotism and taking advantage in connection with the management position.
Schlesinger dismissed from Degeto’s supervisory board
After her resignation from the ARD and RBB leadership, there are also consequences for Schlesinger in the supervisory board of the ARD film subsidiary Degeto. Degeto Film GmbH, based in Frankfurt am Main, said on Sunday at the request of the German Press Agency: “The acting director of RBB, Hagen Brandstätter, has dismissed Ms. Schlesinger as a member of the Degeto supervisory board.”
Brandstäter, who took over the business at the head of the public broadcaster Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) after resigning a week ago, had previously said in the RBB “Medienmagazin” on Saturday that he had signed a letter on Friday that this cannot be maintained any longer.
Schlesinger was previously the head of the supervisory board. Degeto is an ARD community facility that is responsible for fictional series and feature films, for example.
The 61-year-old has been facing increasing allegations of nepotism for weeks. The public prosecutor’s office is investigating against her, her husband and ex-“Spiegel” journalist Gerhard Spörl and against the resigned RBB chief controller Wolf-Dieter Wolf on suspicion of infidelity and accepting advantages. An external investigation by a law firm is also underway, but the results are not yet available.
The case plunged the RBB into a deep crisis, which also rubbed off on the reputation of the entire public broadcaster in Germany.