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It's about the successor for the chief post in the RBB tower: Martina Zöllner (from left to right), Tina Hassel, Ulla Fiebig are traded
Photo: Annette Riedl / picture alliance / dpa;
Christoph Soeder / picture alliance / dpa;
After the resignation of Patricia Schlesinger, Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) is looking for a new director.
Schlesinger announced her withdrawal on August 7th.
This was preceded by allegations of nepotism, dubious consultancy contracts and expenses.
Who is eligible to succeed the former investigative journalist whose behavior damaged the entire public service broadcaster?
The Broadcasting Council determines the procedure for a new election.
He will set up a selection committee that will look for candidates – possibly outside of the broadcaster, in order to make a real fresh start after the Schlesinger fiasco.
With Verena Formen-Mohr, head of the main department, a Schlesinger confidante has already left.
Schlesinger's deputy, Hagen Brandstätter, who is acting as administrative director, has also announced his retirement for the coming year.
More could follow.
But even within the RBB there are people who are traded as possible successors - although a successor is more likely to be sought than a successor.
Most directorships of the public service broadcasting houses are still male and from the west.
Voices are raised calling for a woman from East Germany for the post.
Here are seven possible successors for Patricia Schlesinger
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Jan Schulte-Kellinghaus
is program manager at RBB and is considered suitable – but he is criticized because he also received a bonus as part of the management.
When the journalist Sarah Oswald persistently asked in the RBB "Abendschau" on August 9 ("And you didn't hear anything about all that?"), the law graduate found himself unable to explain.
He is part of Schlesinger's team, and his resignation has already been called for internally.
Susann Lange
has been legal director of RBB since 2020, she was elected at the suggestion of Patricia Schlesinger.
She is also a member of the RBB management, and as with Schulte-Kellinghaus, there are questions about bonus payments.
The legal scholar, who was born in Dresden, has been with RBB for over 20 years, including as the broadcaster's legal advisor and head of the Intendancy department.
Martina Zöllner
is head of fiction and culture at RBB.
She moved from Südwestrundfunk (SWR) to Berlin in 2017 to take over management of the newly created program area »Documentary and Fiction«.
She was head of the film department at SWR and has received several awards, including the German Television Prize and the Grimme Prize for the idea and conception of the real-time series »Time of Heroes«.
The "Süddeutsche Zeitung" writes that Zöllner was already seen as "capable of managing director" during her time at SWR.
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ARD: Tina Hassel will head the capital city studio until 2024 – after that Markus Preiß will take over
Tina Hassel
is head of the ARD capital studio in Berlin.
Born in Cologne, she ran for ZDF directorship a year ago, but lost to Norbert Himmler in the election by the ZDF television council in July 2021.
Hassel is considered a flagship of the ARD, with the ZDF journalist Theo Koll, who is also a candidate for the RBB directorship, she moderated the final round of the federal elections of ARD and ZDF in 2021.
She has already been brought into play by the tabloid press as Schlesinger's successor and has received a lot of criticism for allegedly pro-green statements: "Hassel of all people!" scolds the "BZ".
Theo Koll
applied as RBB director in 2016, but was defeated by Patricia Schlesinger in six ballots.
Koll impressed with his personal format and committee experience.
In 2019 he took over the management of the ZDF capital city studio and the moderation of »Berlin direkt«.
It is unclear whether he is currently interested in the RBB chief post.
Jana Brandt
is program director at Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk (MDR) in Halle, where culture and knowledge as well as the young offers of the MDR are located, among other things.
Brandt has been with Mitteldeutscher Rundfunk since 1999.
As a film and series maker, she also took over the chair of the ARD editorial team in the main evening series in 2014.
Brandt is the daughter of the Defa director Horst E. Brandt and was born in Potsdam-Babelsberg.
Ulla Fiebig
would come from the SWR state broadcaster Rhineland-Palatinate, which the native of Saxony has been director since February.
She has already held various management positions in the ARD, she was deputy speaker and correspondent in the capital city studio.
Most recently, she headed the press department in the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs under the then Minister Franziska Giffey, who is now the Governing Mayor of Berlin.
mgo/sak
