DIt is easy to call Patricia Schlesinger’s resignation from the ARD chairmanship the day after as inevitable. The catalog of allegations she faces is extensive.
Dubious contracts for consultants for the “digital media house” planned by Rundfunk Berlin Brandenburg, for which the station’s chairman of the board, Wolf-Dieter Wolf, played an important role. Contracts for Schlesinger’s husband at Messe Berlin, where Wolf heads the supervisory board. Questionable financing models for the large construction, which could cost 160 to 185 million euros, twice as much as initially announced. A rental deal with Messe Berlin, in which Wolf is said to have had a share in his dual role. The increase in the basic salary of the director by 16 percent to 303,000 euros per year – decided by the board of directors of the RBB. Business lunch in the director’s private home and then a company car in the top luxury class at a dump price. All of this does not go well with the image that the public broadcaster ARD wants to convey of itself. Patricia Schlesinger as head of the network of stations – that was intolerable.
In the meantime, Patricia Schlesinger pointed out that she had experienced a lot of solidarity in the ARD in the last few days. One can doubt that. The colleagues intendants will rather breathe a sigh of relief that at least the entire ARD is no longer identified with the allegations, but “only” the RBB.
With her style, described as self-important, the broadcaster boss had alienated many before the affair became known. In other broadcasters, their urge to take on responsibilities, for example in financial matters that affect the entire ARD, was found to be quite encroaching. Even without the oddities made known by the “Business Insider” web portal, the question would have been whether Patricia Schlesinger would have received the usual extension of the ARD presidency for a second year, which is due in September.
It is about public service broadcasting itself
Now her colleague Kai Gniffke from Südwestrundfunk will probably move up on January 1, 2023, until then the WDR director Tom Buhrow will take over the chairmanship, which he held for two years before Schlesinger. During his time, it was about the big plan for “ARD 2030”, i.e. the digitization of the entire offer, which is actually making great strides. Under his successor, it’s about cutting and stabbing behind the scenes and about the reputation of public service broadcasting itself.
This is what it should look like: the planned “Digital Media House” of the RBB in Berlin.
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Image: rbb/Baumschlager Eberle Architek
To a certain extent, Patricia Schlesinger personifies what can be said against this: He is expensive, has record income from the broadcasting fee of 8.42 billion euros most recently, is already dreaming of the next fee increase, constantly says that there is not enough money, pays top salaries, presses from even the last poor student the broadcasting fee, but has enough reserves for all kinds of frippery, follows the trials and tribulations of a small media bubble, loses sight of his audience, young and old, is withdrawn, arrogant and shows himself to be just as incapable of reform and savings as resistant to criticism. And this at a time when, in view of the Russian war of annihilation against Ukraine and the consequences of economic sanctions, many citizens are getting down to business when it comes to paying for energy costs.
This impression was also reflected in the behavior of the RBB director until shortly before she resigned from the ARD chairmanship. As soon as the publications were there, she spoke of a mixture of conjecture and incoherence. She whispered about a campaign and threatened legal action. When the main committee of the Brandenburg state parliament invited her to the meeting to discuss the Felt affair, she skipped the meeting – with her the head of the administrative board Wolf and the chairwoman of the broadcasting council Friederike von Kirchbach. That was pure arrogance. And then Patricia Schlesinger also said that she had served public broadcasting all her life and wanted to continue doing so.
That didn’t sound like retreat and insight into what was necessary. And that sticks, even if it turns out that the allegations made against them and others lead into a gray area that is not justiciable and can somehow be reconciled with the compliance rules. Even if the matter is “clarified” in September or October, as promised: The damage to public service broadcasting is already immense. And that’s not the “fault” of the journalists who started this story. It is far from clear that Patricia Schlesinger will be able to remain as director of RBB after retiring from the ARD chair.
