The then RBB director Patricia Schlesinger (r.) and Broadcasting Council boss Friederike von Kirchbach in 2016 Photo: picture alliance/dpa
From the BZ editorial team
How alien do you have to be to consider the waste of money at RBB to be normal? Friederike von Kirchbach (67), former chairwoman of the broadcasting council at the scandal broadcaster, did not rate the bonus system as unusual!
“These sums were not conspicuous in the ARD context,” said von Kirchbach in the investigative committee of the Brandenburg state parliament on the RBB. “I know they existed, but I wasn’t involved in the way.” She knew a grand total. “As Chair of the Broadcasting Council, I could have asked uncomfortable questions. I didn’t.”
The former head of the Broadcasting Council knew the salary and bonus payments of the director Patricia Schlesinger (61), who has since been dismissed, as well as the salaries of the directors – but not their bonus payments.
There have been bonus payments at RBB since 2005 – albeit to a much lesser extent. Around 1000 to 5000 euros a year, according to ex-director Dagmar Reim (71) in front of the investigative committee.
“The group of recipients was very manageable, at that time about 17 or 18 department heads.” She said: “Nothing about it was secret.”
She has decided against directors also receiving bonuses. “I flatly rejected it on the grounds that I expect full performance from top employees at all times – if necessary more.”