ORF director Roland Weissmann steps down immediately following sexual misconduct allegations by an employee, weeks before Vienna hosts Eurovision.
VIENNA: The director of Austrian public broadcaster ORF has resigned with immediate effect following sexual harassment accusations.
Roland Weissmann’s departure was announced by the broadcaster’s board on Monday.
The resignation follows recent misconduct allegations made by a female ORF employee. Weissmann denies any wrongdoing.
“The allegations against the director general require a swift and transparent investigation,” an ORF statement said.
Weissmann’s lawyer, Oliver Scherbaum, confirmed his client resigned on Sunday to avert damage to the company. He announced plans for legal action against the claims.
“To date, my client has not been provided with the exact facts of the case as presented by the employee,” Scherbaum said in a press release.
He criticised the media coverage as an “inappropriate and excessive reaction”. The move comes just months before a scheduled election for the ORF director general position.
Weissmann’s resignation occurs two months before ORF hosts the Eurovision Song Contest in Vienna. The 2026 event is scheduled for May 12 to 16.
Austrian artist Johannes Pietsch won last year’s contest in Basel, Switzerland, securing Vienna as this year’s host city.
