ORF Director General Ingrid Thurnher Will Not Seek Re-Election for 2027 Term

"Diese Unabhängigkeit ermöglicht mir, das zu tun, was Voraussetzung für den Neustart des ORF ist," Thurnher continued, listing the need for a thorough reappraisal, setting the right course, and regaining public trust.

She acknowledged the path ahead would be difficult, warning that upcoming decisions "möglicherweise weh tun" and "Widerstand auslösen" werden – may cause pain and trigger resistance.

A Call for Political Restraint

Thurnher also addressed the ongoing selection process for her successor, expressing her expectation that the Foundation Board is aware of its special responsibility given recent discussions. She said she assumes the board will make a decision "im Einklang mit allen rechtlichen Voraussetzungen" and "im Interesse des Publikums und eines starken ORF."

She issued a direct appeal to political actors: "Der ORF ist nicht der Spielball der Politik und er gehört auch nicht der Politik." Thurnher urged politicians to refrain from public interjections.

The Director General pledged to support the incoming leadership, stating she will prepare an orderly handover and convene a "Planungs-Summit" in the summer with the future head to jointly work out how the ORF can achieve necessary additional savings from 2027 onward.

Preparing for Transition

Her announcement follows recent government discussions about potential savings of 80 to 90 million euros at the broadcaster, which Thurnher said would shake the "Grundfesten" – the very foundations – of the ORF.

Thurnher, a well-known journalist and media manager who has been with the ORF since 1985, gained broad recognition as the moderator of flagship programs including "ZiB2," "Im Zentrum," and the "Sommergespräche."

She concluded her message to thousands of ORF employees on a determined note: "Das nächste halbe Jahr wird intensiv, arbeitsreich - und ich werde mich mit aller Kraft dafür einsetzen, dass wir wieder der ORF werden, der wir sein wollen, auf den wir stolz sein können, auf den ich stolz sein kann."

Other Candidates in the Race

Meanwhile, the field of candidates for the 2027 leadership includes Kathrin Zierhut-Kunz, the managing director of ORF 3, who has also submitted her application. Zierhut-Kunz stated that as managing director she knows the challenges of the organization from operational responsibility.

Zierhut-Kunz, who studied business administration and worked as a tax consultant before joining ORF in 2009, said her candidacy is tied to the ambition to structurally develop the broadcaster further and sustainably strengthen journalistic quality. "Mein Ziel ist ein moderner, effizienter und glaubwürdiger ORF, der seinen öffentlich-rechtlichen Auftrag mit Qualität, Relevanz und Verantwortung erfüllt," she said.

She is the second woman from within the ORF to seek the top position, alongside ORF magazine chief Lisa Totzauer. Zierhut-Kunz, who was a district councilor for the FPÖ around 1995 and became ORF personnel chief with FPÖ support in 2019, is considered a personnel reserve of that party.