RBB is appealing against the verdict in the Schlesinger trial!

RBB is appealing against the verdict in the Schlesinger trial!

On August 5, 2025, the administrative board of Rundfunk Berlin-Brandenburg (rbb) decided to appeal against parts of the Berlin regional court's ruling in the Patricia Schlesinger case. The former director of the rbb is held personally liable by the committee for bonus payments and ARD allowances that she approved. The chairman of the rbb board of directors, Wolfgang Krüger, justified this decision with the need to prevent financial damage to the contributors and the rbb.

The rbb is demanding more than 12.9 million euros from Schlesinger plus interest in connection with the stopped “Digital Media House” (DMH) project. This initiative was abandoned at the end of 2022 and the legal claims in this context were separated from the previous proceedings by the regional court. Patricia Schlesinger herself also does not accept the verdict and, as her lawyer confirmed, will appeal. These legal actions cast a shadow over her time as director, who served as chairwoman of ARD from 2016 to 2022 and in the first half of 2022.

Background of the allegations

The allegations against Schlesinger are numerous and serious. These include, among other things, nepotism, taking advantage, luxurious furnishings in their offices and inappropriate use of station resources, such as the company car with massage seats and expensive entertainment. In the wake of the RBB scandal, Schlesinger resigned from all positions in August 2022 and was terminated from the rbb without notice. Her lawsuit for a pension payment of 18,300 euros, which she was entitled to after 30 years of service, was rejected by the rbb on the grounds that her contracts were immoral.

Criminal investigations are also underway against Schlesinger, her husband Gerhard Spörl and the former rbb board chairman Wolf-Dieter Wolf. The regional court's ruling of July 16, 2025 stipulated that Schlesinger must pay damages to the rbb for various misconduct, but the exact amount remained unclear. She was recognized as a partial success when the regional court decided that the rbb must pay her the requested 18,300 euros for January 2023, while it remains unclear how Schlesinger's further claims will be dealt with.

Legal framework and challenges

These developments also raise questions about the legal basis and structure of broadcasting and media law. It is considered confusing and complex because the regulatory structures have changed significantly as a result of digitalization and technological change. The Federal Constitutional Court has made fundamental decisions in this area that affect the balance between state regulation and self-regulation. Public broadcasters are in constant competition with private providers, which is regulated by the Interstate Broadcasting Treaty introduced in 1991.

The challenges of the digital age place new demands on broadcasting law. The legislature must respond to these developments in order to maintain the protection of the production conditions of the press and media freedom in a fragmented media environment. There is therefore a need to develop a new model for broadcasting and media law that meets the complex requirements of digital communication while taking into account the rights and obligations of all parties involved.