KommAustria

The Austrian Communications Authority, also known as KommAustria, is the regulatory authority for electronic audio media and electronic audiovisual media in Austria. Since January 2004, the authority has been headed by Michael Ogris, who also became its Chairman on October 1, 2010, when KommAustria was transformed into an independent panel authority which is not subject to instructions from any other authority. In all of its activities, KommAustria is provided with operational support by RTR's Media Division.

Since its establishment under the KommAustria Act in 2001, KommAustria has been responsible for issuing licenses to private television and radio stations, managing broadcasting frequencies, handling the legal supervision of private broadcasters, as well as preparing and launching digital broadcasting in Austria.

Since January 2004, KommAustria has also been in charge of administering the Austrian federal government's press and journalism subsidies. In August of the same year, KommAustria also assumed responsibility for monitoring compliance with Austrian advertising regulations in broadcasts of the Austrian Broadcasting Corporation (ORF) and private broadcasters.

Since October 1, 2010, KommAustria has also been responsible for legal supervision of ORF and its subsidiaries, for the legal supervision of private providers of audiovisual media services on the Internet, and for certain tasks under the Austrian Act on Exclusive Television Rights.
 

Members

KommAustria comprises the following members:

• Michael Ogris (Chairman)
• Susanne Lackner (Vice Chair)
• Martina Hohensinn
• Thomas Petz
• Katharina Urbanek

The authority's rules of procedure and its allocation of duties can be accessed via the link below.

• KommAustria: Rules of procedure and allocation of duties

In the performance of their duties, the members of KommAustria are independent and not bound by instructions from any other authority.

Austria’s Federal Chancellor does not have the power to issue instructions to KommAustria. However, the Federal Chancellor is authorized to gather and request relevant information on all matters handled by KommAustria.

Appeals against KommAustria decisions can be submitted to the Federal Administrative Court (BVwG). Further appeals against BVwG decisions may be submitted to the Austrian Administrative Court (VwGH) and the Austrian Constitutional Court (VfGH).

For information about our office hours, please go to the section "About us", subsection "RTR". RTR is KommAustria's operational support organisation.