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Information on media transparency in accordance with the Media Transparency Act (MedienTG)

acib GmbH is committed to transparent and responsible communication. As a recipient of public funding (in particular within the framework of the COMET programme through the FFG) and as an institution operating in the public interest, we are subject to the strict disclosure requirements of the Austrian Media Transparency Act (MedienTG), in particular in accordance with § 2. These legal provisions serve to make the use of public funds for advertising and information measures completely transparent.

Disclosure of advertising contracts and media collaborations

In accordance with legal requirements, acib GmbH regularly reports all advertising placements and media collaborations to the Austrian Regulatory Authority for Broadcasting and Telecommunications (RTR). These reports document the use of public funds for advertising and information purposes and help to maintain the independence of reporting and transparency towards the public

All expenses for scientific publications are also subject to reporting requirements, provided that they represent a cooperation with a media owner. This applies in particular to contributions to printing costs, the placement of subjects in specialist media and other comparable services. All such expenses are recorded in full by acib GmbH and reported to RTR on a quarterly basis.

Access to data:

In the interests of democratic control and public accountability, all data reported by acib GmbH on advertising orders and subsidies to media owners can be viewed publicly and without access restrictions via RTR’s transparency portal.

The database is updated every six months and enables interested citizens, media representatives and other stakeholders to view the reported expenditures in detail. You can use the RTR search mask to filter specifically for publications from acib GmbH. The presentation includes the respective order volumes, the beneficiary media owners and the period of service provision.

acib GmbH naturally complies fully with these legal obligations. Nevertheless, it should be noted that the reporting and documentation obligations associated with the MediaTG represent a considerable administrative burden for research institutions, which is disproportionate to the actual gain in transparency. In particular, the inclusion of scientific publication costs in the reporting obligation – even though these are not of an advertising nature – ties up valuable human resources that are then unavailable for research and innovation.
Within the framework of existing interest groups, acib GmbH is therefore actively campaigning to ensure that future amendments to the law take better account of the specific circumstances of publicly funded research institutions and reduce the bureaucratic burden to a level that is objectively justified.