By Michael Sauerbier
The RBB is no longer without a leader! Four weeks after the scandal director Patricia Schlesinger (61) was kicked out, the Broadcasting Council elected a new woman to head the station on Wednesday: Katrin Vernau (49), right hand of ARD boss Tom Buhrow (63). She was the only candidate.
The election in the Babelsberg RBB television house began with a flop: only 12 of the 20 broadcasting councils voted for the Swabian manager. 14 would have been necessary. Only after 30 minutes did Vernau risk a second ballot – and won by 16 votes to 3 (one abstention).
In the meantime, their opponents had been told that if they didn’t make a choice now, the scandal broadcaster would remain clueless for months. Then a tendering process would have been necessary. This also convinced some who criticized the lack of selection as “undemocratic”. Candidates from the staff representatives were rejected: “no management experience”.
RBB employees demonstrated against the election in Potsdam on Wednesday – because there was only one candidate Photo: Thomas Spikermann
Now Vernau is interim boss, elected for one year. But: “If the Broadcasting Council wants to, I can also imagine continuing.”
As a real artistic director for five years. Until then, she has to do the toughest job in German broadcasting:
► Clear up the Prass and Kungel scandal quickly! Vernau: “To restore the credibility of the RBB.”
► Change the management! “We have to form a team that can handle the crisis.”
► Reorganize the broadcasting and supervisory boards. “To restore the effectiveness of the oversight bodies.”
► Cash register crash! Vernau: “We have to see where the station is financially.”
The specialty of the ex-management consultant. At WDR, Vernau saved 20 million euros a year and cut 500 jobs. She now wants to review the planned RBB “digital palace” (185 million costs).
If Vernau fails, she falls soft: Her boss Buhrow has given her a year’s leave. “A signal from WDR to make it clear that it is helping to solve the crisis,” Vernau told the broadcasting council in a secret conference the previous evening, “this crisis is damaging the entire system” of public broadcasting.
The Swabian should save it.