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Audi A8 with massage seats: Patricia Schlesinger's company car stands out among ARD stations

2022-08-05T13:42:26.342Z


Patricia Schlesinger has withdrawn from the ARD presidency, but is still criticized. A SPIEGEL survey shows that only a few station bosses drive similarly expensive company cars.


Enlarge image

RBB director Particia Schlesinger

Photo: Britta Pedersen / dpa

After her resignation as ARD chairwoman, Patricia Schlesinger continues to be criticized.

The allegations deal, among other things, with alleged nepotism in connection with consulting contracts and expense accounts in her role as RBB director.

She is also accused of using an exceptionally luxurious company car.

A survey of the public broadcasters now shows: Schlesinger's equipment with an Audi A8 including massage seats also stands out in comparison to other broadcasters.

Radio Bremen, for example, does without a company car for its directorship, while Saarland Radio, Deutschlandradio and SWR use smaller BMW and Toyota models.

Unlike many station bosses, the director of Deutsche Welle drives his company car himself and, with leasing costs of EUR 336 per month, has previously had significantly lower expenses than the RBB boss.

Headline: The directors drive these cars

AreaNorbert Himmler, ZDFopen

Enlarge imagePhoto: BMW

Car:

BMW 740Ld xDrive, taken over from predecessor Thomas Bellut

Price:

508.16 euros plus VAT/month

Driver:

Mr. Himmler has a driver who also drives other members of the ZDF management team.

Private:

Yes, with a logbook »in which all private trips are documented«

Special equipment:

»Fully equipped«

AreaTom Buhrow, WDRopen

Enlarge image Photo: Tom Kirkpatrick / BMW

Car:

BMW 7 series

Price:

Not specified

Driver:

A driver is available to the director

Private:

The car is part of the salary, private use is taxed by the director.

Special equipment:

»Like its predecessors, this is a high-class car.«

AreaMartin Grasmück, SRopen

Enlarge imagePhoto: Wolfgang Groeger-Meier / BMW

Car:

BMW 330e Touring

Price: »

The conditions were negotiated between the supplier and the responsible purchasing department of the SR.

The exact conditions may not be published due to a corresponding clause in the contract.«

Driver:

The SR-Intendant does not have a personal driver available.

Mr. Grasmück drove the company car "until now himself."

Private:

Yes, non-cash benefits are “taxed at a flat rate”

Special equipment:

Among other things, automatic air conditioning, navigation and communication system, driving / parking assistant, heated seats, electric seat adjustment, leather seats, panoramic roof, winter tire set

AreaPeter Limbourg, DWopen

Enlarge imagePhoto: imago stock&people / IMAGO

Car:

Coming soon: Audi Q5 Hybrid.

Because delivery is delayed, so far BMW X3

Price:

BMW X3: 82,000 euros list price with official discount, monthly rate 336 euros gross

Driver:

0, »the director drives himself«

Private:

Yes, taxed on the basis of the non-discounted gross list price

Special equipment:

safety package and navigation system

AreaKai Gniffke, SWRopen

Enlarge imagePhoto: BMW

Car:

BMW X5 xDrive 45e

Price:

Not specified, condition of the provider

Driver:

1

Private:

Yes, with appropriate taxation

Special equipment:

Extended leather interior »Merino« Black, Steptronic Sport transmission, integral active steering, universal remote control, automatic soft-close system, roof rails, acoustic glazing, panoramic glass roof, sun protection glazing, temperature-controlled cup holders, active seat ventilation, electrically adjustable front comfort seats, front seat heating and rear, thermal comfort package at the front, automatic air conditioning with 4-zone control, ambient air package, BMW laser light, Parking Assistant Plus, TV function Plus, wireless charging, leather steering wheel BMW Individual headliner Alcantara anthracite innovation package

AreaJoachim Knuth, NDRopen

Enlarge imagePhoto: Mercedes-Benz AG – Global Comm / Daimler

Car:

Mercedes-Benz E 300 de 4MATIC T-model (plug-in hybrid), which the director has been using since March 2022.

Price:

"The vehicle is leased." The NDR generally does not provide any information on procurement details that are agreed between a supplier and the purchasing department of the NDR.

Driver:

"The employment contract provides for (...) a driver."

Private:

»According to the contract, private use of the company car is also permitted, the financial advantage resulting from this is to be taxed privately by the director.«

Special equipment:

The equipment includes, for example, additions such as emergency brake assistant, steering assistant, winter tires or sunroof.

AreaYvette Gerner, Radio Bremenexpand

»The director of Radio Bremen does not have her own company car or driver.«

DivisionFlorian Hager, HRopen

Enlarge imagePhoto: MICHAELA REHLE / REUTERS

Car:

»He still drives the leased company car of his predecessor Manfred Krupp, a BMW 745e.

When he took office, a smaller car was ordered at his request, a fully electric BMW iX xDrive40, which is to be delivered soon.«

Price:

The car is leased on fixed terms.

Driver:

Florian Hager does not have a personal driver.

If necessary, a driver can be hired on an hourly basis for business trips.

Private:

The company car can be used privately.

Mr. Hager pays tax on the non-cash benefits of traveling between home and work and the private use of the company car in accordance with the applicable tax regulations.

Special equipment:

In addition to safety-related supplements such as an emergency brake assistant, the equipment also includes optional equipment such as a sunroof or a trailer hitch, which are an integral part of the leased vehicle.

DepartmentKarola Wille, MDRopen

Enlarge imagePhoto: Audi

Car:

Audi A8 Hybrid.

This was purchased 12/2021.

Price:

Audi AG obliges MDR as a contractual partner to maintain secrecy towards third parties with regard to the price and delivery conditions granted to MDR.

MDR has concluded a vehicle rental agreement with Audi AG with a fixed monthly rental rate.

Here, too, the principle of economy and economy applies to the MDR.

According to internal regulations, the monthly reference rental rate to be paid by the MDR is capped.

Driver:

The director generally uses a driver who is assigned to her for business trips.

In the event of the driver's absence, MDR fleet employees will stand in for him.

Private:

The company car can be used privately in accordance with the provisions of the service contract.

This use is to be taxed by the person entitled to the company car.

Special equipment:

The equipment of the company car corresponds to the requirements for the use of the company car as a workplace in view of the extensive travel activities of the director and takes safety aspects into account.

AreaKatja Wildermuth, BRopen

Enlarge imagePhoto: Sebastian Geisler / IMAGO

Car:

BMW X3 Plug in Hybrid, registration was in May 2021.

Price:

The vehicle is leased at the usual conditions

Driver:

Driver available

Special equipment:

The vehicle includes standard equipment plus: sunroof, sun protection glazing, navigation system and winter wheels.

Source: Own research

At the request of the new director, Hessischer Rundfunk has ordered a smaller electric model instead of the BMW 745e previously used, and the BR boss will be driven through Bavaria in a plug-in hybrid.

There is also lavish equipment at ZDF, NDR and WDR, whose directors sit in a Mercedes or BMW limousine.

Karola Wille, head of the MDR, uses the same model as the RBB with the Audi A8.

The difference: These four are responsible for larger transmission areas than Schlesinger.

rai/mum

Source: spiegel

All business articles on 2022-08-05

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