Josef Trappel as a guest on ZIB2
Our department head, Prof. Josef Trappel (University of Salzburg), was invited to appear on ZIB2 on November 26 as an expert on the current discussion surrounding the ORF Foundation Board. The reason for the report was formal problems that require several decisions made by the Foundation Board to be reconfirmed. The committee was not fully staffed, as active politicians are not allowed to participate. The 35 members of the Foundation Board are nominated by the federal states, the government, parliamentary parties, the public council, and the works council—often organized in political “circles of friends.”
In his statement, Trappel clearly defined the role of these circles of friends on the foundation board:
“The circles of friends are informal, not provided for by law, and not necessary for the functioning of the foundation board. I also don’t think it’s a good thing if they play a decisive role. The foundation board would function very well without circles of friends.”
The full report is available in the ORF-ON media library: “ORF -Stiftungsrat muss Beschlüsse erneut bestätigen” (ZIB2, November 26, 2025).
Foto: ORF ON
