The chairwoman of the RBB Broadcasting Council resigned on Saturday.
(Photo: dpa)
Berlin The editorial committee of Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) has asked the management to resign. In a statement by the editorial committee, which was available to the German Press Agency, it said on Saturday: “The RBB management no longer enjoys trust – neither in ARD nor in-house. Therefore, she must resign immediately.”
The committee also wrote: “We, as representatives of the journalists in the RBB, no longer trust that this management can provide complete information.” In addition, it is expected that the deputies or the main department heads will not automatically move up.
It went on to say: “Because everyone who benefited from bonuses in the Schlesinger era also supported this system. We need other, flatter and really transparent structures.”
The Committee requests that the workforce be involved in this process. “Only those who enjoy the trust of the workforce can work through credibly and reposition the station.”
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In the morning, the ARD directors made it clear that they had lost confidence in the current management of Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) in dealing with the affair surrounding the dismissed station boss Patricia Schlesinger. “We, the directors of ARD, no longer have confidence that the station’s management will be able to process the various incidents quickly enough,” said ARD boss Tom Buhrow on Saturday.
According to dpa information, a lack of education in the controversial bonus system for executives is said to have played a role.
Meanwhile, on Saturday, the chairwoman of the RBB broadcasting council, Friederike von Kirchbach, resigned with immediate effect in view of the crisis in the public broadcaster ARD. The 67-year-old said in a statement on Saturday. There is now another personal consequence in the affair about allegations of nepotism against the recalled director Patricia Schlesinger.
Von Kirchbach said: “RBB is about to make a new start. After ten years as Chair of the Broadcasting Council, I would like to make a contribution and make my position available.” With the dismissal of Schlesinger as artistic director, the committee cleared the way for new structures and people in the ARD broadcaster. “For everything that comes now, I see new people in charge, so I’m resigning,” it said.
At the same time, she emphasized that the current debate about the RBB and the public service system should not be about people, for her the matter is in the foreground. “This includes the self-critical examination of our work in the Broadcasting Council in the past. It is important to me that I started this discussion.” On the other hand, she is not willing to have her professional integrity as a pastor and pastor called into question, this is happening publicly and is unacceptable to her.
Von Kirchbach has chaired the supervisory body since 2013 and has been a member since 2007. The deputy chairman of the Broadcasting Council, Dieter Pienkny, will take over the official business on an interim basis for the time being.
The Broadcasting Council is one of the control bodies in the public broadcaster, it keeps an eye on the program work. The committee also elects the director. On Monday, the members of the Broadcasting Council recalled Schlesinger. The Board of Directors, as the second control body, is now dealing with the specific termination of the contract.
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