Patricia Schlesinger (left) was fired as director. Katrin Vernau (right), the administrative director of West German Broadcasting (WDR), should now clean up at RBB Photo: Britta Pedersen/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa/Thomas Spikermann
By Michael Sauerbier
You haven’t learned anything! After the Prass and Kungelei scandal, there is no trace of modesty at RBB. The new director Katrin Vernau (49) collects almost as much as her fired predecessor Patricia Schlesinger (61).
Vernau took up her post on the RBB boardroom on Thursday morning. For 295,000 euros per year, the broadcaster said after repeated BZ requests on Friday evening.
That’s only 8,000 euros less than Schlesinger got. And around 50,000 salary increase compared to Vernau’s old job as WDR administrative director.
The CDU faction leaders of the federal and state governments had demanded a limit of 190,000 euros – that’s how much Brandenburg’s Prime Minister earned. The warning to economize went unheeded.
Vernau also inherited the panoramic view of the capital from Schlesinger: Her office is on the 13th floor of the RBB television center on Theodor-Heuss-Platz (Charlottenburg). “Because that’s where the team is,” says the broadcaster. “There are considerations as to how it can be equally present at the Potsdam and Berlin locations.”
Schlesinger’s luxury office next door has been cleared out and is now available to all employees as a conference room.
Successor Vernau has to do without the Chancellor-Audi A8 with massage seat for the time being. “Ms. Schlesinger’s leased company car will be returned in September,” said the station to the BZ. “Ms. Vernau initially uses RBB pool vehicles or public transport for her business trips. It will not have a personally assigned driver.”
Astonishing: Predecessor Schlesinger has not yet taken any legal action against her termination without notice, first the courts and then the RBB said when asked by the BZ. In addition, the RBB had canceled her pension for her top job. The three-week period for bringing an action before the labor court has now expired. However, Schlesinger can still go before the Berlin district court….