Federalism: How Does a Place Have a Voice?

Local reporting is central to people, as shown by a study by Univ.-Prof. Dr. Holger Schramm, published in media perspectives.

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Stephanie Schiedermair (University of Leipzig) also describes in her contribution to the PUBLIC VALUE TEXTE (ORF Public Value - Beitrag), how important regional reporting is: “On a continent characterized by different political cultures and varying degrees of institutional trust, strong public service media contribute to the stabilization of democratic expectations. They do not eliminate conflicts but offer a common framework in which conflicts can be articulated and disputed. If public service media are to remain credible democratic institutions, their commitment to public value must be visible where people experience politics most directly: in their regions, communities, and everyday lives. Political decisions are rarely experienced where they are made, but rather where their consequences are felt: in communities, schools, hospitals, and local economies. Regional journalism translates abstract politics into lived experience. It shows how national and European decisions interact with everyday realities—and why they are important.”

This regional information could also help close the knowledge gap that stands in the way of young people's engagement, according to a study by Landjugend. The Austrian Broadcasting Corporation meets the information needs with its nine regional radios, especially on TV with the "Bundesland heute" broadcasts, which are the most successful on ORF, and online with the websites of the nine state studios, even though the number of reports is limited by law here. And another program is increasingly gaining traction, as it apparently meets citizens' need for exchanging arguments, listening, and building bridges: “Ein Ort am Wort,” moderated by Werner Fetz: “'Ein Ort ein Wort' is a discussion program on a regional hot topic, a topic that has been confrontationally discussed in the regions for many years. We go there, go into the pub, and invite everyone interested to participate in the discussion. All opinions at one table, we always say. And it works wonderfully that everyone really comes and discusses live and unedited for an hour. I think this has been a bit lost in today’s society, this discussing a topic together, also understanding that others can have different opinions. And it works quite well, I believe, that people then listen to each other and often sit together long after the broadcast ends. I think it’s a fundamental task for a state studio, on one hand, to report on what’s happening in a state, but also to take up topics that concern people in that state. I do believe that this is a very central role that ORF can offer here, to find consensus on seemingly smaller local topics. After all, how can we solve the world’s big problems if we can’t find common ground on smaller issues? In the ORF state studios, we want to show every night in the ‘Bundesland heute’ broadcasts what moves the country, and we don’t just want to show it, but we also want to discuss it. People really appreciate this balance.”

"Focus" is just one example of the achievements of the ORF state studios, ensuring that people from all of Austria's states are heard and represented in their opinions on radio, television, and online. ORF ON offers "Bundesland heute" specifically for this, and all state radio programs can be heard on ORF Sound.


Federalism as a Public Value Category

The category "Federalism" highlights, among other things, the achievements of the nine ORF regional studios. The category is based, among other things, on the following passages from ORF regulations:

ORF Law

§ 4. (1) The Austrian Broadcasting Corporation is responsible for providing information about the significance, function, and tasks of the federal state and promoting the regional identities of the federal states.

§ 5. (5) The Austrian Broadcasting Corporation must reserve an appropriate portion of its financial resources for the activities of the nine regional studios.


ORF Program Guidelines

The interests of the states must be considered in television programs through regular regional broadcasts and appropriate shares in nationwide programs.


ORF Quality Profile

The task of information programs is also to depict and reflect relevant regional events in the sense of the greatest possible diversity of opinion.


ORF Mission Statement

The ORF, as an institution of the Austrian public, reflects the diversity of the federal states, supported by a vibrant federalism.


Figures & Data

Below you will find exemplary numbers documenting the fulfillment of the public broadcasting mandate and the associated media quality. (Figures & Data only availabl in german.) Further information can be found in the ORF's annual report to the Federal Chancellor and regulatory authority, the transparency report, the business and sustainability report, and the reports on equality (ORF Public Value - DOCUMENTS), the action plan for accessibility, or the ORF's annual and consolidated financial statements.


Exemplary Figures

"Bundesland Heute" - Top 3 | 6.529x ausgestrahlt

"Land und Leute" - Top 3 | 44x ausgestrahlt

"Österreich Bild" - Top 5

"Erlebnis Österreich" - Top 3

Bundesland.ORF.at - Visits pro Monat

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