Moser Holding vs Russmedia

Stefan Rothbart übernimmt mit 1. Oktober die Chefredaktion des BUSINESS MONAT

Stefan Rothbart, formerly editor-in-chief of WIRTSCHAFTSNACHRICHTEN, took over as editor-in-chief of the B2B business magazine BUSINESS MONAT on October 1, 2026. Managing Director Nicole Niederl brought him on board to lead a major repositioning ahead of the magazine's 25th anniversary in 2027. The strategy moves BUSINESS MONAT beyond its Styrian core market toward Austria-wide, DACH, and Alpe-Adria special-interest audiences, including ten themed issues and new digital channels. Previous editor-in-chief Lissi Stoimaier will focus fully on STEIRERIN.

• Stefan Rothbart took over as editor-in-chief of BUSINESS MONAT effective October 1, 2026, succeeding Lissi Stoimaier.
• Rothbart previously served as editor-in-chief of WIRTSCHAFTSNACHRICHTEN and brings expertise in industry, energy, geopolitics, finance, logistics, and location development.
• The announcement was published by Moser Holding Medien GmbH on October 1, 2026.

ORF reshuffle, allegations and vice‑chair resignation

On 11 August 2026 Austria's public broadcaster ORF saw major governance moves: the supervisory council (Stiftungsrat) approved leadership candidates proposed by incoming General Director Clemens Pig despite FPÖ opposition. Vice‑chair Gregor Schütze announced his resignation from the council. Legal proceedings began at the Vienna labour court between ORF and former General Director Roland Weißmann, who contests his dismissal and seeks about €4 million; the case relates to allegations and published chat messages. ORF also announced it will legally challenge a planned federal budget cut of €93 million (effective from 2027), considering constitutional action and a complaint to media regulator KommAustria. Ingrid Thurnher and incoming finance director Silvia Lieb (currently CEO of Moser Holding) are involved in handling the financial and operational fallout.

• On 2026-08-11 the ORF supervisory council approved the central and regional director nominees proposed by incoming General Director Clemens Pig.
• Gregor Schütze resigned as vice‑chair of the ORF supervisory council after the council meeting on 11 August 2026.
• A labour‑court trial between ORF and former General Director Roland Weißmann began in Vienna on 11 August 2026; Weißmann seeks about €4 million from ORF.

VN-Gespräch mit Wolfgang Burtscher

Russmedia's Vorarlberger Nachrichten hosted the 7th VN-Gespräch event featuring Wolfgang Burtscher at Bildungshaus Arbogast. Burtscher, former editor-in-chief and long-time regional director of ORF Vorarlberg, shared insights into his journalistic career and personal perspectives. The discussion was moderated by VN politics editor Michael Prock and featured an interactive Q&A session with the audience.

• The 7th VN-Gespräch event took place at Bildungshaus Arbogast.
• Guest speaker Wolfgang Burtscher is the former editor-in-chief and long-time regional director of ORF Vorarlberg.
• The event was moderated by VN politics editor Michael Prock.

Russmedia ist offiziell als Great Place To Work Österreich zertifiziert!

Russmedia ist offiziell als Great Place To Work Österreich zertifiziert! Die Zertifizierung basiert auf dem Feedback unserer Teams zu ihrem Arbeitsplatz und ihrem Arbeitsalltag. Besonders freut uns das Ergebnis: 90 % der Mitarbeitenden würden Russmedia als Arbeitgeber weiterempfehlen.

RM Equity Partners Completes Spin-off from Russmedia

RM Equity Partners (RMEP), the investment arm of Austrian media group Russmedia, has completed a management buyout and is now fully independent, with over €500 million in assets under management. The company, based in Ruggell, Liechtenstein, is wholly owned by partners Eugen B. Russ, Chris Wittlinger, and Nicola Szekely, with no remaining ties to Russmedia. RMEP targets majority stakes in profitable, asset-light digital businesses, including online marketplaces, software, and consumer apps, with an annual investment capacity exceeding €100 million and ticket sizes up to €250 million. The portfolio includes over 50 investments, such as Pure, Bergfex, calimoto, and Jobiqo. As part of strategic portfolio optimization, RMEP recently sold assets including Little Bird, Instikom, Erento, and Alpy.

• RM Equity Partners completes spin-off from Russmedia, becoming fully independent via a management buyout.
• RMEP manages over €500 million in assets under management.
• The company is fully owned by partners Eugen B. Russ, Chris Wittlinger, and Nicola Szekely.