The deadline for applications for the 13 advertised ORF director positions expired overnight into Wednesday. ORF General Director Clemens Pig had already spoken at the end of June of a large number of expressions of interest; the concrete candidate list initially remains secret.
Vienna, July 15, 2026
The application deadline for the 13 advertised ORF director positions expired overnight into Wednesday, but the list of candidates initially remains under wraps.
As DER STANDARD reported, the opportunity to apply for one of the positions ended overnight into Wednesday. ORF General Director Clemens Pig had already spoken at the end of June of a "großen Anzahl an Interessensbekundungen". Details about the candidate list were not to be published by the ORF for the time being.
It is known that Program Director Stefanie Groiss-Horowitz has applied for two positions. She told APA that she is applying for the directorate functions "Programm und Brands" as well as "Audience und Plattformen".
The incumbent ORF Technology Director Harald Kräuter is entering the race for the "Technologie und Innovation" directorate. When asked by APA, he justified his application with the words: "weil ich die Aufgabe mit großer Freude ausführe".
Kathrin Zierhut-Kunz has confirmed her application for the "Finanzen und Verwaltung" directorate to APA. She is co-managing director of ORF III. Zierhut-Kunz had previously also applied for the ORF General Director position and received one of 35 possible votes in the election.
As reported by DER STANDARD, another candidate, who had already supported the ORF as a consultant with his company "SetTele Entertainment", is interested in the "Programm und Brands", "Audience und Plattformen" as well as "Finanzen und Verwaltung" directorates. He provided inputs, among other things, for the further development of the streaming division. The 59-year-old restructured the Slovak private broadcaster group Markiza and led it to market leadership.
Former ORF journalist Sonja Sagmeister has also applied for the "Audience und Plattformen" directorate. In doing so, she competes for this position with Groiss-Horowitz, among others.
According to DER STANDARD, speculation is ongoing about further applicants. Those mentioned include FM4 station chief Doroteja Gradištanac (previously known by her maiden name Dodo Rošcic), ORF entertainment chief Martin Gastinger, Kronehit managing director Philipp König, ORF TV magazine chief Lisa Totzauer, who received three votes in the ORF General Director election, "ZiB 1" anchor Nadja Bernhard, as well as ORF Brussels correspondent Raffaela Schaidreiter.
The date for the further procedure in the selection process surrounding the director positions has been postponed according to DER STANDARD and is now scheduled for the 11th. This also delays the final decision on the filling of the key positions at the ORF.
The applications fall in a phase in which the ORF is readjusting its strategic direction. With the directorates "Programm und Brands", "Audience und Plattformen", "Technologie und Innovation" as well as "Finanzen und Verwaltung", central areas of the public-law broadcaster are to be realigned.
The selection process is being carried out under the responsibility of General Director Clemens Pig. After the applications are confirmed, discussions and hearings with the candidates are expected in the coming weeks, before the ORF Foundation Council decides on the filling of the positions.
