ORF boss warns of major cuts: 220 million euros in savings required by 2031!

ORF boss warns of major cuts: 220 million euros in savings required by 2031!

The Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF) is facing financial upheaval: General Director Roland Weißmann complains about massive savings due to the government's decision not to increase the budget levy until 2029. This means that the ORF will have to save a total of 220 million euros by 2031, with 80 million euros to be saved this year and 104 million euros next year. The ongoing cuts are being described as the largest austerity package in the station's history. “We will have to turn over every stone individually,” said Weißmann at a meeting of the ORF audience council and described the road ahead as “rocky”. This situation leads to concerns among ORF employees and also has an impact on audience interactions, which, according to recent surveys, can be described as positive. According to the Audience Council Study 2024, 75 percent of those surveyed attest that the ORF treats guests respectfully and 67 percent see comprehensive and reliable reporting on current events in Austria as well orf.at reported.

Difficult times for ORF

The government's clear stance not to increase the ORF budget levy is perceived as “a major challenge”. At the same time, Weißmann says that he sees a “clear commitment” to the ORF in the government program of the ÖVP, SPÖ and NEOS: “The ORF is still secure,” he says optimistically. However, this is happening against the backdrop of a shrinking budget and the urge to make savings. In recent months, ORF has reached millions of viewers every day across various channels; 1.4 million people alone tuned in to a special report on the new government on March 4th. Although there are some criticisms of the reporting, the study shows that the majority of the population is satisfied with the work of the ORF, which forms the basis for its future planning under difficult financial conditions, such as exxpress.at analyzed. It remains to be seen how ORF will deal with this challenge as consumption of streaming offerings and online content continues to grow, which could well offer the broadcaster new opportunities.