Consultation days 2010 2009 Burgenland 17 14 Carinthia 26 20 Lower Austria 43 28 Salzburg 19 15 Styria 28 16 Tyrol 21 15 Upper Austria 35 18 Vienna 74 54 Vorarlberg 10 9 273 189 TOTAL The weekly television programme "Bürgeranwalt" ("Advocate for the People"), shown by the public broadcaster ORF once again proved an important platform for the AOB. As in previous years, the figures were highly satisfactory. It is one of the few TV shows to maintain its high market share (28%): on average the show had 317,000 viewers per week. One of the highlights were the comments by Ombudsman Peter Kostelka, who criticised recent changes in Austria's Social Welfare Act, which are supposedly beneficial but in reality merely place additional financial burdens on caregiving family members. Ombudswoman Gertrude Brinek reached a broad audience when she spoke out in support of the parties involved in a case of a flooded garage, after social housing organisation Wiener Wohnen refused to take responsibility for the damage to the cars. Ombudswoman Terezija Stoisits also achieved high viewing figures when she criticised the fact that adopted children in Austria do not automatically obtain the same citizenship as their adoptive parents, since in many cases there are additional bureaucratic hurdles before they can obtain citizenship. Successful weekly TV show The AOB launched its new online portal in July 2010 which can be accessed at www.volksanwaltschaft.gv.at. The website now provides streamlined information about AOB activities and makes it easier for users to turn to the AOB for help. The website provides information on all areas of investigation, e.g. complaints about a specific social authority, questions on building law, or problems with residence per- New website 13