The term of office of the RBB director Schlesinger is over. The Broadcasting Council decides to dismiss the 61-year-old, who is accused of a number of cases of nepotism. Your contract should be terminated. The editorial committee of the RBB meanwhile calls for complete transparency.
The Broadcasting Council of the public service RBB has dismissed Patricia Schlesinger as artistic director. This formally initiates the termination of the contract, which still has to be decided by the Board of Directors. The 61-year-old resigned about a week ago as head of the ARD broadcaster Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) because of numerous allegations of nepotism. A few days earlier she had already retired as ARD boss. The case has plunged the broadcaster into an unprecedented crisis, which is also having an impact on all public service broadcasters. Patricia Schlesinger has been director since 2016. Her second term should have lasted until 2026.
The manager and journalist faces numerous allegations of nepotism. In addition to the 61-year-old, the focus is on RBB chief controller Wolf-Dieter Wolf, who has also resigned. Both rejected the allegations. It is also about questionable orders for Schlesinger's husband Gerhard Spörl at Messe Berlin, where Wolf was also head of the supervisory board until his resignation there.
The public prosecutor's office in Berlin is investigating against Schlesinger, against the ex-"Spiegel" journalist Spörl and against Wolf on suspicion of infidelity and acceptance of benefits. The case deals with details such as controversial consulting contracts for an RBB construction project that has now been put on hold, an expensive company car for Schlesinger with massage seats, the catering of guests in their private apartment at RBB's expense with allegedly false bills, a hefty salary increase for Schlesinger 16 percent to 303,000 euros plus a bonus system for executives, which the broadcaster has so far kept under wraps.
The renovation of the executive floor with chic furniture for 1.4 million euros caused resentment, and Schlesinger's London trip is also being questioned. The core question is whether the station manager and the station manager Wolf could have treated each other too laxly in the event of a possible collision of professional and private interests. An external investigation by a law firm is ongoing, but the results are not yet available. They are not expected for weeks.
There have already been further personnel consequences, days ago the head of the artistic director, Verena Formen-Mohr, was released with immediate effect. Like Wolf, she is regarded as Schlesinger's companion. The question is whether there will be further personnel changes at the top of the station. The composition of the Broadcasting Council and the Board of Directors have also been questioned in recent weeks.
Before the Broadcasting Council meeting, the RBB editorial committee had issued a statement "All open!" asked the panel to do everything possible to ensure that all contracts, bonuses, performance-based salary components, bonuses, annual, economic and special reports are disclosed on the station.
It was also said that the Broadcasting Council must also face up to its responsibilities. The committee asked how it could be that all control mechanisms had apparently failed. After her resignation on Sunday a week ago, Schlesinger's post was taken over by administrative director Hagen Brandstätter.
