RBB: ARD broadcaster cuts 100 positions

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RBB in Berlin-Brandenburg: unprecedented crisis

Photo: Monika Skolimowska / picture alliance / dpa

Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB), which has fallen into a deep crisis, wants to cut a total of 100 jobs by the end of 2024.

The background are planned savings of almost 50 million euros, as the public broadcaster ARD announced on Wednesday in Berlin.

In addition, one wants to concentrate, among other things, on the TV program between 6 p.m. and 10 p.m. in the future.

That means the end for programs by Jörg Thadeusz and Dieter Nuhr, for example – with the RBB press office specifying via Twitter that only one program will be canceled as part of an ARD theme week, not the regular show “Nuhr im Erste”.

According to the press release, interim director Katrin Vernau, who has been in office since autumn, said: »Without our decisive action in the current contribution period, we would be facing a financial abyss by the end of 2024 at the latest.

The ability to pay would no longer be easily ensured.« At one meeting, the talk was of »mismanagement in recent years«.

The RBB plunged into an unprecedented crisis in the summer of 2022 when accusations of nepotism and wastefulness were raised against the top.

The entire management team at that time is no longer in office.

At the center of the scandal are the director Patricia Schlesinger, who was fired without notice, and the chief supervisor of the station, Wolf-Dieter Wolf.

Both rejected allegations.

The Berlin Public Prosecutor's Office is investigating, the presumption of innocence applies.

Courts of auditors are also currently checking, and an external law firm is also working on a report.

ARD, ZDF and Deutschlandradio are financed by broadcasting contributions paid by households and companies.

The amount is 18.36 euros per month, the current contribution period lasts until the end of 2024. According to the broadcaster contribution service, RBB earned around 436 million euros in 2021.

eth/dpa