In view of the affair surrounding the resigned RBB director and ARD boss Patricia Schlesinger, ARD wants to strengthen the supervision of all broadcasters. WDR director Tom Buhrow, who took over the business at the ARD top, told the German Press Agency: “We check whether the supervisory offices are adequately equipped throughout the ARD.”
Buhrow also said when asked how big the loss of reputation for ARD and the entire public broadcaster was as a result of the Schlesinger affair: “It’s not yet foreseeable, but I’m not talking around it: This crisis also affects ARD After all, RBB is a member of ARD.” The ARD boss added: “That’s why it’s now my job to analyze and tackle the conclusions in ARD.”
Patricia Schlesinger has been exposed to numerous allegations of nepotism for weeks. In addition to the 61-year-old, who resigned as ARD and RBB boss in the affair, the focus is also on the chief controller Wolf-Dieter Wolf of the broadcaster Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg, who has also resigned. It is also about questionable orders for Schlesinger’s husband at Messe Berlin, where the chief controller was also the head of the supervisory board until his resignation there.
The question is whether Schlesinger could have dealt too laxly with Wolf in the event of possible conflicts of interest. The public prosecutor’s office in Berlin is now investigating against Schlesinger, her husband and ex-“Spiegel” man Spörl and Wolf because of the initial suspicion of infidelity and acceptance of benefits.
