“Yes, we are relieved. We will be able to recruit for the position of third employee, currently free.” Sylvain Giraud, journalist and host at Radio Cactus (based in Semur-en-Brionnais and broadcast on 92.2 FM), welcomed the news this mid-week, like his colleagues from the approximately 750 community radio stations that cover the French territory.
“A strong signal for the sustainability of non-commercial radio stations”
The Radio Expression Support Fund (FSER) will ultimately not be cut by more than 10 million euros, as was once envisaged in the 2025 Finance Bill. A project marked with the seal of budgetary economy. So no more, at least for 2025, the 30% drop in allocations, assured Laurent Saint-Martin, the Minister Delegate in charge of the Budget and Public Accounts. “A strong signal for the sustainability of non-commercial radio stations,” welcomed the Les Locales association, which brings together two representative organizations: the SNRL (National Union of Free Radios) and the CNRA (National Confederation of Associative Radios). Unions who, however, intend to remain mobilized and who intend to monitor the terms of the upgrading of FSER credits.
“Technocrats forced to chop budgets”
“I wasn’t panicked after the first announcement but I was waiting to see what sauce we were going to be eaten with,” Sylvain Giraud testified this Thursday. This story of a planer blow looked like a blow from technocrats forced to cut with an ax into budgets. Our unions and we, the grassroots associations, were right to mobilize. It paid off,” says the professional.
Like Radio Cactus, Radio Val de Reins (RVR), broadcasting throughout Roannais and Beaujolais Vert, had also expressed its fears in recent days, notably on its antenna, during the celebration of the 10th anniversary of the Roannais studio. “If this is applied, we will have no other choice than to fold the sails of the RVR ship,” Jean-Pierre Deroire even announced. A founding president of radio today “satisfied”: “It’s the mobilization that paid off,” he emphasizes. But to remain very reserved for the future: “We have always moved forward with caution in our radio. There, we do not have a long-term vision. What will be the political line in the future? As in the middle of mountaineering, before putting one foot in front of the other, we make sure that the terrain is solid and for the moment, the terrain, I don’t feel very safe. The recruitment of half a position which was envisaged will therefore wait a bit at RVR.
“We are already very controlled. They don’t give us money like that!”
If the horizon is therefore brightening for these small structures, at Radio Cactus, Sylvain Giraud still questions one point: “Our Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, declared herself in favor of a proposal from the RN for better regulate the distribution of credits to community radio stations. However, I remind you that we are already very controlled. We are not given the money like that?! the employee. “And, if we do not respect the Republican Commitment Contract that we signed with the State, the latter can cut off our subsidies almost overnight.”
“This decision was unfounded”
He had mobilized against this aspect of the Finance Bill: Antoine Vermorel-Marques, deputy for Roannais, had alerted the government to this issue via a letter addressed in particular to the Prime Minister. He had also tabled, like several parliamentarians, an amendment requesting the withdrawal of this point. “I welcome this announcement which is the fruit of collective mobilization,” he declared today, considering himself “happy to have taken this fight to the National Assembly and to the government so that the reason prevails.”
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