The search for an interim director for Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg continues. Acting Chairman of the Broadcasting Council Dieter Pienkny said on Tuesday: “There will be no Broadcasting Council meeting tomorrow and therefore no election.” Actually, a meeting of the independent body was planned for Wednesday in Potsdam. Pienkny said further: “We still need a few days in the Finding committee to look at a few more candidates.” At the same time, the head of the Broadcasting Council made it clear that one was aware that there was a small window of opportunity to find an interim solution.
Actually, the Broadcasting Council should have determined an interim successor for the dismissed director Patricia Schlesinger. A selection committee is currently looking for suitable candidates. Clearly there is a need for further discussion. Pienkny continued: “We still need a few days in the selection committee to look at some more candidates.” At the same time, the head of the Broadcasting Council made it clear that one was aware that there was a small window of opportunity to find an interim solution.
The previous program director Jan Schulte-Kellinghaus is currently at the helm of the station. He is the longest-serving member of the Executive Board. Schulte-Kellinghaus had announced that he would only be part of the management until a new station leadership was appointed. The crisis-ridden ARD broadcaster is thus entering the next uncertain days. Allegations of nepotism and felony against the director Patricia Schlesinger, who was fired without notice, and the resigned chief inspector Wolf-Dieter Wolf are in the room. Among other things, it is about consulting contracts for an RBB construction project, bonus payments and a strong salary increase for Schlesinger.
According to information from the rbb research team, the acting director of the station, Jan Schulte-Kellinghaus, refused to discharge the management and the supervisory board of the wholly owned subsidiary rbb media GmbH on Tuesday, the station reported on its website. The confirmation of the annual financial statements was postponed. In addition, a managing director was dismissed, as rbb-Media managing director Edda Kraft confirmed on request.
