Prosecutor Ralf Roggenbuck (57) should lead the RBB broadcasting council – and prevent new scandals Photo: picture alliance / Eibner-Presse / Private
By Michael Sauerbier
The scandal broadcaster RBB gets a new chief controller on Thursday! Prosecutor Ralf Roggenbuck (57) is to lead the broadcasting council. The Council also wants to advise on the shrinking of the highly paid top broadcasters from five to just two bosses.
In the afternoon, the 30 broadcasting councilors meet at the RBB headquarters on Masurenallee. Right at the beginning, the new head of council is elected. The ex-chairwoman Friederike von Kirchbach had defended scandal director Patricia Schlesinger for a long time, resigned after her sacking. Your deputy Dieter Pienkny has received a lot of criticism since then.
Katrin Vernau (49) is the interim director at RBB Photo: Thomas Spikermann
According to BZ information, the only candidate is prosecutor Roggenbuck. The non-party Conservative sits on the Broadcasting Council for the Civil Service Association. “RBB cannot go on as before,” he said to the BZ, “I want to create the conditions by February so that such a scandal cannot happen again.”
His Berlin colleagues are investigating ex-director Schlesinger, her husband and ex-board boss Wolf for infidelity and accepting benefits. Meanwhile, Roggenbuck is planning changes in the Interstate Broadcasting Treaty, saying: “The inspectors must be strengthened.” He wants to adapt the RBB salaries to the public service. Roggenbuck: “It can’t be that 27 executives earn more than Berlin’s police chief!”
BZ learned: The RBB board of directors proposes that the broadcaster should only afford one administrative director in addition to director Katrin Vernau. The three remaining directors (each with a salary of 250,000-270,000 euros including bonuses) are to go. The decision would have to be implemented by the broadcaster boss (295,000 euros annual salary).
Vernau plans to submit her first report a week after taking office. Focus: the cash position. It will show whether the RBB can afford the planned new digital building (185 million euros).