ORF boss Weißmann on newspaper publishers: “My hand is outstretched”

He admitted, however, that some see things a little differently. When the excitement has subsided, however, it is important to start talking to the publishers again. “My hand is outstretched”, according to Weißmann. The ORF boss emphasized that “cooperation instead of competition” is important for the Austrian media market in order to survive against international media giants from the USA and China. ProSiebenSat.1Puls4 Managing Director Markus Breitenecker is of the same opinion. “We need a cooperative media system”, said the media manager. You have to defend the media market against international giants. Fake news, hate speech and election manipulation can also be found on their platforms. Although you have to reach young people with Austrian content where they stay for a long time, Breitenecker is critical of producing entire content or news programs for TikTok, for example.

Weißmann said that the ORF did not want to produce programs exclusively for social media even after the ORF amendment to the law had taken place. But of course you try to make initial contact with young people on the various platforms and, in the best case, then attract them to your own platforms. A new free streaming platform from the ProSiebenSat.1Puls4 Group called “Joyn” combines numerous Austrian television and radio stations as well as their on-demand content and offers a lot “Joyn original”, which can only be seen there. The ORF is also on board.