Austria's government will hold a two-day "future forum" for the ORF on September 10th and 11th, kicking off a process intended to lead to broader reform of the country's public broadcaster.
But this is Austria, and we already know that none of those questions will be settled this week.
The ORF-Zukunftsforum organised by the Ministry for Housing, Arts, Culture, Media and Sport is a consultation exercise. Around 200 invited participants from politics, media, academia, culture, civil society and other sectors will discuss what the ORF should look like in future.
So what could eventually change for people who watch, listen to or use the ORF online?
More of the ORF could move towards digital platforms
A consultation before the forum asked how public-service content should work on digital platforms, how the ORF can reach people whose media habits have shifted away from conventional broadcasting, and how to address artificial intelligence and large international platforms.
Among the 184 participants in the ministry's expert consultation, 56.5 percent said strengthening the ORF's digital strategy and ability to operate across platforms was a priority. Changing media consumption and falling audiences for traditional media were the most frequently selected medium-term challenges.
Incoming ORF director-general Clemens Pig, who takes over in 2027, has also spoken about an "offensive" in digital services and about developing the broadcaster into more of a public-service platform.
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ORF.at could also be part of the debate
The digital debate includes a long-running debate over how far a publicly funded broadcaster should be allowed to compete with private Austrian newspapers and other media companies.
The government's 2025-2029 coalition programme calls for further restrictions on the ORF's commercial activities and clearer rules limiting how closely its online news offer can resemble a newspaper.
It also calls for greater cooperation between the ORF and private Austrian media, including on technology, artificial intelligence, and content distribution.
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Could regional programming change?
The ministry says the reform process aims to make ORF more regionally rooted, while the consultation included questions about the role of the broadcaster's nine provincial studios.
Almost 30 percent of respondents selected stronger Austrian content, productions and regional links as a reform priority.
What about political influence over the ORF?
Austria has already changed the rules governing the ORF's supervisory bodies after the Constitutional Court ruled that parts of the previous system gave government authorities too much influence and failed to guarantee sufficient pluralism and independence.
The later reform of the ORF law reduced the number of members of the Stiftungsrat appointed by the federal government from nine to six and gave the Publikumsrat, or Audience Council, greater weight.
But the topic is still a can of worms.
In the expert consultation's final weighted ranking of priorities, governance and independence came first, ahead of digitalisation, financing and the ORF's public-service remit.
The September forum will revisit transparency, independence and how the public is represented inside the broadcaster's structures.
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Will the ORF contribution change?
This is what most people in Austria will be wondering about.
The basic ORF household contribution, known as the ORF-Beitrag, is €15.30 a month and has been frozen until the end of 2029.
The coalition agreement says the ORF must continue making savings during that period. The government has also permanently removed around €93 million a year in federal compensation from 2027. The ORF has said it will challenge the cut.
But the tricky thing is the payment — it's controversial and highly political. An ÖVP position paper suggested replacing the household contribution with federal budget financing as one possible model. Another option the party raised would retain the contribution but adjust it.
The SPÖ-led media ministry has pushed back against replacing the recently introduced household contribution. NEOS has separately ruled out increasing the contribution. The opposition, particularly the far-right FPÖ, runs on the promise of abolishing the fee altogether.
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What happens next?
The forum begins on September 10th with speeches and presentations of the online consultation results, four citizen focus groups, and a youth workshop.
Working groups will then discuss five areas: the ORF's public-service remit and programming, young people and media literacy, digitalisation and AI, governance and public representation, and cooperation across Austria's media sector.
They will present their findings on September 11th, followed by concluding remarks from Media Minister Andreas Babler. The ministry says it will then prepare a report to serve as the basis for political negotiations on the broader ORF reform.
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Key vocabulary
ORF-Beitrag - the household contribution used to finance Austria's public broadcaster
öffentlich-rechtlicher Auftrag - public-service remit or mandate
Zukunftsforum - "future forum", the consultation taking place on September 10th and 11th
Stiftungsrat - the ORF's supervisory board
Publikumsrat - the ORF Audience Council
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