Klaus Webhofer: ORF summer talks as a new political corrective?

Klaus Webhofer: ORF summer talks as a new political corrective?

Next year, Klaus Webhofer will moderate the ORF “Summer Talks” for the first time, which will take place from August 11th to September 8th, 2025 in the ORF Center. Webhofer, who is known as the ORF's head of domestic policy and has conducted numerous radio political interviews, allows the moderation of the “Summer Talks” to fall to him without having actively worked towards it. These interviews are designed to shed light on current issues and provide viewers with deeper insights into the positions of senior politicians.

A total of five prominent guests are invited: Beate Meinl-Reisinger (NEOS), Andreas Babler (SPÖ), Christian Stocker (ÖVP), Leonore Gewessler (Greens) and Herbert Kickl (FPÖ). While Webhofer doesn't expect any particular confrontations, as he has already conducted interviews with all of the guests, his focus is more on understanding their positions. “The ratings show that people consume media when something is going on,” he notes, emphasizing the challenge of getting succinct answers from politicians.

An important corrective

According to Webhofer, the media landscape in Austria plays a crucial role as a corrective, even if not all politicians recognize this equally. It is important to him that the conversations open up new perspectives for the audience and promote understanding for the guests. Returning to the ORF media campus after two years is considered sensible, especially in a context in which the ORF has to save money due to changes in the law, which affects its daily work.

Webhofer, who has been working at ORF since the early 1990s, has never moved to other media companies because he values ​​the development opportunities at ORF. This shows how strong his commitment to the company is and how important the range of topics and the journalistic work on site is to him.

About the “Summer Talks”

The “Summer Talks” are an established platform within the Austrian media landscape that aims to bring the views of the top political candidates closer to voters. Alexander Sattmann, who has headed the editorial team for “Current Politics Discussions and Magazines” since March 2025, was previously editor of the ORF political magazine “Report” and has also contributed to various discussion formats on ORF. Such formats are important to give the audience an insight into political discourses and to promote exchange between politicians and citizens.

The media landscape in Austria is characterized by a mix of public and private broadcasters. The ORF, as the main player, operates several channels and offers regional and national programs. The importance of these media is particularly reinforced by pressure to innovate and changes in media use, which underlines the relevance of the “Summer Talks”. The diversity in reporting and the opportunity for political actors to represent their points of view are crucial for democratic decision-making in Austria.