Austria
[AT] Public Council Objects to Rise in ORF License Fee
IRIS 2008-3:1/9
Robert Rittler
Gassauer-Fleissner Attorneys at Law, Vienna
As reported recently (see IRIS 2008-2: 8), the Foundation Board of the Österreichische Rundfunk (Austrian public broadcasting company – ORF) decided by a small majority on 13 December 2007 to increase the license fee by 9.4%.
On 28 January 2008, the Public Council voted by a clear majority in objection to this increase. The main reason for the objection was what it considered to be the inappropriate timing of the measure. It thought that such a decision should not have been taken until after the structural and cost measures announced by the management had been implemented and the results of the audit office investigation and the 2007 accounts had been published. The Public Council is an organ of the ORF, responsible for protecting the interests of viewers and listeners.
However the ORF Foundation Board exercised its right of veto under Art. 31 para.2 of the ORF-Gesetz (ORF Act) on 2 February, and as a result the increase will take effect as originally decided in June 2008.
References
- Pressemitteilung des Publikumsrates zur Plenarsitzung vom 28. Januar 2008
- http://publikumsrat.orf.at/plenar/plenum27.html
- Press release of the Public Council at its plenary meeting of 28 January 2008
- Pressemitteilung des Stiftungsrates vom 2. Februar 2008
- http://www.ots.at/drucken.php?schluessel=OTS_20080202_OTS0053
- Press release of the Foundation Board of 2 February 2008
This article has been published in IRIS Legal Observations of the European Audiovisual Observatory.