Austrian national broadcaster's reporters say far right wants to destroy it

By Francois Murphy

VIENNA (Reuters) - The body representing the reporters of Austrian national broadcaster ORF said on Friday the far-right Freedom Party (FPO) is trying to destroy it, raising pressure on conservatives to push back in coalition talks with the FPO.

The eurosceptic, Russia-friendly FPO came first in September's parliamentary election with 29% of the vote, and was tasked with forming a government this month after a centrist attempt to assemble a ruling coalition without it failed. Its only potential partner is the conservative People's Party (OVP).

One of the FPO's most frequent targets is ORF, a widely respected organisation that produces agenda-setting news programmes but which the FPO accuses of being left-wing and trying to "indoctrinate" viewers. The FPO rails against the levy that finances ORF and says it wants funding cuts.

"The destruction of ORF is beginning," read the headline of a statement issued by the ORF Editorial Council, which represents its journalists.

It said the FPO wants it to produce "party propaganda instead of independent reporting" along the same lines as what its ally in neighbouring Hungary, Prime Minister Viktor Orban, has done.

"In Hungary, critical reporting is sanctioned by the withdrawal of state-funded advertising, private media have been bought up by Orban's followers and the public broadcaster has been forced to toe the government line," it added.

Orban's government has repeatedly denied undermining press freedom.

CONSERVATIVE QUALMS

At the start of their coalition talks, the OVP's new leader Christian Stocker demanded assurances from the FPO, saying fundamental issues such as independent media were essential to his party.

"If the OVP is serious about its commitment to democracy and media freedom, it cannot agree to the plans of its potential new government partner," the council said.

FPO co-Secretary General Christian Hafenecker, who is also the party's spokesperson on media, issued a statement accusing the ORF journalists of panicking.

"Fortunately we live in a parliamentary democracy where voters and votes are the sovereign, and not in a Soviet republic where an ORF Editorial Council ... or another body that lacks democratic legitimacy sets the course," he said.

(Reporting by Francois Murphy; Editing by Andrew Cawthorne)