re:publica Vienna: Media Politics in Austria: Is the Light at the End of the Tunnel a Train? - Leonhard Dobusch
Okto TV
The digital media transformation has long since fully affected Austria's media landscape, with advertising revenues flowing increasingly faster to large Big Tech platforms. At the same time, media funding is to be reorganized and the ORF (Austrian Broadcasting Corporation) is to undergo a comprehensive reform. However, some issues hardly change: the allocation of advertising by the government and public agencies is criticized for further increasing the already enormous media concentration, and the relationship between ORF and private media remains tense. In summary, the media policy situation in Austria is serious. But is it hopeless as well? An inventory taking in search of a light at the end of the tunnel.
The digital media transformation has long since fully affected Austria's media landscape, with advertising revenues flowing ever faster to large Big Tech platforms. At the same time, media funding is to be reorganized and the ORF is to undergo a comprehensive reform.
However, some things hardly change: the allocation of advertising by the government and public agencies is criticized, the already enormous media concentration continues, and the relationship between ORF and private media remains tense.
In summary, the media policy situation in Austria is serious. But is it also hopeless? An inventory in search of light at the end of the tunnel.
The first re:publica Vienna brought the most important European festival for digital society, politics, technology, and culture to Austria for the first time. From October 2 to 3, 2026, the Kulturhaus Brotfabrik became a place for debates and keynotes with international speakers. The teams from OKTO and Moment Magazin recorded the events and have been presenting the videos since October 5 in the slots at 6:00 PM and 11:10 PM.