Roland Weißmann has resigned as Director General of Austrian public broadcaster ORF with immediate effect after a staff member accused him of sexual harassment, allegations he denies.
Weißmann informed Foundation Council Chairman Heinz Lederer and Deputy Chairman Gregor Schütze of his decision to step down following the accusations, which relate to alleged inappropriate behaviour at the beginning of his tenure in 2022. The claims were raised in recent days by an ORF employee.
“In the past few days, an ORF employee has raised allegations of sexual harassment against the Director General,” the broadcaster said in a statement. Weißmann disputes the accusations.
According to ORF, the Foundation Council will propose appointing Radio Director Ingrid Thurnher to temporarily lead the organisation until a new Director General is formally appointed. The Council is scheduled to meet later this week, with a plenary session on 12 March 2026 expected to confirm the interim arrangement.
Lederer said the Council must now ensure a swift investigation: “It is the responsibility of the ORF Foundation Council to take the necessary steps quickly so that the allegations can be clarified transparently and with full consistency while guaranteeing the smooth continuation of management.”
Schütze added: “With its decisive approach, the ORF Foundation Council shows that it keeps a steady hand even in difficult moments. Ingrid Thurnher will lead ORF through these challenging times with her extensive experience.”
Weißmann’s lawyer, Oliver Scherbaum, said his client had been given only a few days by the Council to decide whether to resign despite denying the allegations. “My client has not been provided with the precise facts of the accusations to this day,” Scherbaum said. “Nevertheless, in order to prevent damage to the company, he was prepared to make far-reaching concessions and therefore resigned from his position on Sunday.”
Scherbaum also said the public dissemination of unverified allegations constituted “an excessive reaction”, claiming that an agreement had meanwhile been reached with the employee concerned. The lawyer added that the reporting of the accusations had “seriously violated” his client’s personal rights and could lead to legal consequences.
ORF stated that the allegations require “rapid and transparent clarification in close cooperation with the compliance office”, stressing that protecting the person who raised the complaint must be the top priority.
Weißmann, 57, became Director General in 2022 after being appointed the previous year by the ORF Foundation Council. He succeeded long-time chief Alexander Wrabetz at the helm of the broadcaster.
His resignation comes weeks before Vienna hosts the Eurovision Song Contest and shortly ahead of the upcoming process to appoint ORF’s leadership for the next term starting on 1 January 2027. The post of Director General is due to be formally advertised on 1 May, with a vote in the Foundation Council scheduled for 11 August.
Before the resignation, Weißmann had been widely expected to seek another term. Other names mentioned as potential candidates include ORF’s Regional Director for Lower Austria, Alexander Hofer, and Philipp König, Managing Director of commercial radio broadcaster Kronehit.
According to ORF, the timetable for appointing the next management team from 2027 onwards remains unchanged.
