Due to an imminent gap in financial planning, the crisis-ridden Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) is facing savings in the millions. According to its own statements, the public ARD broadcaster does not want to fill vacancies in the house for the next two years. There should be no redundancies.
RBB interim director Katrin Vernau, who is supposed to lead the broadcaster out of what is probably its worst crisis surrounding allegations of nepotism, did not rule out the possibility of individual programs being discontinued on TV or radio. Vernau announced by January a precise list of how the broadcaster’s financial planning is to be reduced by around 40 million euros in the contribution period that runs until 2024.
But now Vernau, who is supposed to bring order to the finances of the RBB, is in the headlines – because of alleged additional spending.
Specifically, it is about a rent subsidy for the new director in the amount of 1000 euros, as reported by “Bild”. And that with an annual salary of 295,000 euros.
According to “Bild”, Vernau admitted that she received the rent subsidy. She justifies this with her move from Cologne to Berlin in September. “I live with two suitcases and could not have taken office until January,” she is quoted as saying.
In addition, Vernau uses a “Bahncard100” on account of the RBB to commute between Cologne and Berlin. But she also does without a company car and chauffeur, according to the report.
“There’s no justification for that,” says Christoph Reinhardt, representative of the freelancers, of the “Bild” on the rent subsidy. “But Ms. Vernau doesn’t have a guilty conscience at all. That’s perhaps normal in the ARD boardroom.”
“I don’t understand why a rent subsidy is required for your salary. That’s the old RBB for me!” RBB editor Christoph Hölscher is quoted as saying.
Reinhardt: “The director would be well advised to waive the rent subsidy.” If she acts according to the same logic as her predecessors, “you wouldn’t trust her to stand for a new beginning.”
The financial situation of the broadcaster also highlights the previous management around the director Patricia Schlesinger, who was fired without notice. Since the end of June, the RBB has been in a deep crisis because of allegations. In addition to Schlesinger, who has been director since 2016, the focus is on the resigned chief controller Wolf-Dieter Wolf. Both rejected allegations. The Berlin Attorney General is investigating. The presumption of innocence applies until the conclusion.
In the meantime, a report by NDR and RBB journalists again took up the controversial actions of the former top broadcasters regarding personnel policy and the awarding of consultancy contracts. The article published on the RBB website is about a consulting contract that RBB editor-in-chief Christoph Singelnstein, who retired early in spring 2021, and the broadcaster are said to have concluded after he left.
The consulting contract would be in addition to his lifelong entitlement to an annual pension of more than 100,000 euros and his statutory pension. In total, Singelnstein is currently receiving around 15,000 euros per month from RBB.
Singelnstein did not comment on this on Friday at the request of the German Press Agency and referred to non-disclosure clauses in contracts.
The RBB confirmed the existence of a consulting contract. The editor-in-chief contract was originally concluded for a term from 2018 to 2023. When Singelnstein left the station prematurely at the age of 65, the employment relationship was terminated by mutual agreement. At the same time, the broadcaster wanted to secure Singelnstein’s expertise, which is how the consultancy contract came about.
Sources: “Image”, RBB, DPA
