ÖVP and Greens voted for media package

2023-04-19 15:48:58

The ÖVP and the Greens voted in favor of the federal government’s media package in the Constitutional Committee of the National Council on Wednesday followingnoon. The opposition parties were united once morest it, as the APA learned from parliamentary circles. The package includes a new quality journalism promotion endowed with 20 million euros, tightened transparency regulations and reporting obligations in the allocation of the public sector and the end of the “Wiener Zeitung” in its current form.

The package should be passed in the National Council at the end of April. However, the government needs a two-thirds majority to amend the Media Transparency Act. In the run-up to the constitutional committee, the SPÖ spoke of “some positive aspects that will lead to more transparency”. However, she demanded that anti-democratic, inflammatory media remain excluded from advertisements by ministries and that transparency in the budgetary planning of paid engagement be further strengthened. A review by the EU Commission is required for the new quality journalism funding, which might be close by the end of April. The SPÖ spoke out in favor of an increase in funding for the Press Council. These will be raised from 150,000 euros to 187,500 euros as part of the funding, but according to the Press Council Managing Director Alexander Warzilek, this is not enough to continue the work in its current form in view of the inflation and increased workload.

The federal law on the Wiener Zeitung GmbH caused numerous critical statements from various areas of society. It envisages that the world’s oldest daily newspaper still appearing in printed form will in future appear primarily as an online medium. A “Media Hub Austria” will also be set up at the Republic-owned company. He should offer a journalistic “practical program”. SPÖ and NEOS, like the editors of the “Wiener Zeitung”, appealed to call off the change in law and to take the time to examine alternative concepts. “It needs more quality journalism and greater media diversity, not less,” said SPÖ media spokesman Jörg Leichtfried. “We want the stop button to be pressed and all concepts from potential buyers and investors to be put on the table,” said NEOS media spokeswoman Henrike Brandstötter in a broadcast. The goal must be to secure the medium’s future, “but not at the expense of taxpayers.”

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