RBB is appealing against Schlesinger's ruling - almost 13 million demanded!

RBB is appealing against Schlesinger's ruling - almost 13 million demanded!

The dispute between Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (RBB) and former director Patricia Schlesinger is entering the next round. On August 5th, the RBB board of directors decided to appeal against parts of the Berlin district court's ruling in order to prevent financial damage to the contributors and the institution itself. This is reported by the Oldenburg online newspaper.

The main issues in the appeal revolve around questions of liability and financial recovery. The RBB would like the Court of Appeal to determine that Schlesinger is personally responsible for her decisions relating to bonus payments and ARD allowances. This would be another dramatic step in a process that also affects the financing and supervision of public broadcasters as a whole.

Background to the legal dispute

The RBB is also demanding damages of over 12.9 million euros plus interest for the “Digital Media House” (DMH) project that was actually planned but ultimately discontinued. This project was completed at the end of 2022, although the financial claims now have to be negotiated separately as the regional court has separated the DMH complex from the ongoing proceedings.DWDLemphasizes that the Administrative Board, chaired by Wolfgang Krüger, justifies this step with the need to protect the interests of fee payers.

In parallel to these legal disputes, the regional court decided in July that RBB must pay Schlesinger a monthly pension of 18,400 euros - but initially only for one month. An RBB spokesman emphasized that this does not constitute a precedent for future payments. Schlesinger could also have a good chance of legally suing for the monthly amount.

The responsibility of public broadcasting

These disputes occur against the backdrop of a complex legal framework for broadcasting. The State Broadcasting Treaty, which has no longer been in force since 2020, must be adjusted on the basis of the Media State Treaty. The legal framework for the broadcasting event provides for a clear separation and responsibility between private and public broadcasters, with the financing of public broadcasting being secured through fees.Wikipediashows that these public broadcasters have an important mandate to ensure basic services.

The decisions in the Schlesinger trial could have far-reaching effects on the structure and financing of RBB and other public broadcasters. It remains to be seen how the Court of Appeal will decide on this matter and what consequences this will have for the broadcasting landscape in Germany.