Allegations of sexual harassment Media quake in Austria - ORF boss resigns unexpectedly
The Director General of Austrian broadcaster ORF, Roland Weissmann, has resigned with immediate effect. The background to this are allegations of "inappropriate behavior" towards a woman dating back to 2022. Weissmann rejects the allegations.
09.03.2026, 09:31
dpa
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- ORF Director General Roland Weissmann has resigned following allegations of inappropriate behavior.
- Weissmann denies the allegations, but declared his resignation in order to avert damage to the company.
- Radio director Ingrid Thurnher is to lead the ORF temporarily.
The Austrian public broadcaster ORF is facing a surprising change in leadership. Director General Roland Weissmann resigned from his position on Sunday with immediate effect. This was announced by his lawyer in a statement.
This was triggered by allegations of "inappropriate behavior" towards a woman, which, according to the statement, relate to the year 2022, the start of his term of office as ORF CEO. Weissmann rejects the allegations.
In a letter, his lawyer explained that the ORF Board of Trustees had informed Weissmann of the allegations and given him a few days to resign. A substantive examination of the allegations had not yet taken place at that time.
Weissmann nevertheless decided to resign in order to prevent damage to the company. According to the press release, he resigned from his position at 11.45 a.m. on Sunday. At the same time, his lawyer announced that legal action would be taken.
ORF announces clarification
The ORF Board of Trustees emphasized that the allegations must now be clarified quickly and transparently. The protection of the person concerned is paramount.
The Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Heinz Lederer, explained that ORF must now ensure that both the investigation into the allegations and the operation of the station continue to run smoothly.
Radio director Ingrid Thurnher is to take over the management of ORF for the transitional period. She will use her experience to guide the broadcaster through the current situation, the Board of Trustees announced.
The resignation also has organizational consequences. In August, a new election of the ORF leadership is due anyway, which is now likely to take place under completely new circumstances.
Long career at ORF
Roland Weissmann has worked at ORF since the 1990s and has held various management positions over the course of his career.
Before his appointment as Director General, he was, among other things, Chief Producer Television and thus managed the broadcaster's largest program budget. He later became Deputy Finance Director.
His career began in the mid-1990s at the ORF regional studio in Lower Austria. He then worked at Ö3 and in the broadcaster's radio information department, among others.
