The Director General of Austrian broadcaster ORF, Roland Weißmann, has stepped down from his position following allegations of sexual harassment made by an employee.
Allegations and Response
The ORF Foundation Council announced on Monday that Weißmann resigned with immediate effect, stating that the accusations must be clarified quickly and transparently. According to ORF, a staff member accused Weißmann of sexual harassment dating back to 2022, during the early period as Director General.
Weißmann denies the allegations, with his lawyer arguing that the accusations had not yet been fully examined before the resignation was requested. The lawyer described the situation as an excessive reaction and suggested legal action could follow. Despite denying the claims, Weißmann said he decided to resign in order to avoid potential damage to the broadcaster.
Following his departure, ORF Radio Director Ingrid Thurnher will take over the leadership of the broadcaster on an interim basis until a permanent successor is chosen. The process to elect a new Director General is expected to proceed as planned, with the next leader set to take office in January 2027.
All About Eurovision 2026
The journey to the 2026 Eurovision Song Contest kicked off immediately following JJ’s win in Basel, when Austria’s ORF accepted the rights to host the 70th edition of the contest. The bidding process started in June, with interested cities having until July 4 to submit their bid book. Innsbruck and Vienna were shortlisted, with the latter winning the right to host next year’s contest. 35 countries will take part in the competition, the lowest number of competing entries since 2004.
As for the organisation of the competition, the ‘core team‘ was revealed in June 2025, with further details about next year’s competition to be revealed in due course. The shows will take place on May 12th, 14th and 16th.
Are you excited for Eurovision 2026? As always, let us know what you think by commenting below. Also, be sure to follow ‘That Eurovision Site’ on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, TikTok, Threads and Bluesky as we start looking ahead to Eurovision 2026!
News Source: ORF
Photo Source: Juerg Christandl/KURIER/pict
Michelle