share despite strong competition, but increase it. The average national market share in 2009 was 29 percent; in households with cable and/or satellite TV, it was 28 percent. For example, 472,000 viewers followed the progress of a case handled by Ombudsperson Brinek, in which glare-producing elements on the façade of a house resulted in problems for the neighbours across the way. A case handled by Ombudsperson Stoisits, which involved a door that had unnecessarily been forced open by the police and the associated question of compensation for damages, also had high viewing figures. When, during a broadcast, Ombudsperson Kostelka stood up for a waiter who had been refused a disability pension despite permanent injury to health, the viewers also showed a great deal of interest. General observations OMBUDSPERSON PETER KOSTELKA The AOB is always being challenged anew by how people are affected and by their descriptions of what they consider to be a case of maladministration. Focal points of our investigations result from an accumulation of complaints and the underlying structural deficits. The people continue to call for government authorities to provide more “justice on a case-by-case basis” instead of “automatic enforcement”. The primary goal of our activities must therefore be to remedy people’s unease, both in individual cases and in general, where the instruments that are available provide measures for recourse. Primary goal It is the responsibility of the AOB to provide feedback to the legislative entities about how their laws are affecting people concretely, respectively, whether expectations associated with certain legislation were actually met. That this is not always the case can be clearly seen from this year’s report on our activities. The AOB is not only obligated to represent individual interests but the public good as well and it exercises its monitoring of government administration strictly based on the Constitution and the laws. It is therefore regrettable that the legislative recommendations made by the AOB do not receive more attention. Legislative recommendations 15