KommAustria

The Austrian Communications Authority, also known as KommAustria, is the regulatory authority for electronic audio media and electronic audiovisual media in Austria. Since early April 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.

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