Several hundred public broadcasting employees gathered Thursday near the Ministry of Culture to protest against the bill, the examination of which had to be postponed due to congestion.
The public broadcasting merger project driven by Rachida Dati is falling behind schedule: its examination in the National Assembly was postponed on Thursday, while the entire sector is on strike to oppose it. MEPs were due to debate this lightning reform at first reading on Thursday and Friday. But faced with the congestion of the agenda, the government took the decision to postpone it. The text may not be examined until June. And this while the timetable desired by the Minister of Culture was already very constrained, with a merger of public broadcasting scheduled from January 1, 2026.
From the regional networks of France 3 or France Bleu to the Parisian headquarters, the entire sector went on strike on Thursday and must do the same on Friday. The Radio France antennas were very disrupted and the usual broadcasts replaced by music. On the television side, the - channel rebroadcast programs. To ensure the retransmission of the debate in the evening on France 2 between Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and the president of the RN Jordan Bardella, management planned to use external service providers, according to the unions. According to the management of France Télévisions, there were 12% of strikers, all professions combined. At Radio France, the SNJ union assured that there were 72% of journalists on strike.
“Political agenda”
In addition to the strike, several rallies took place in France, the main one in Paris, near the Ministry of Culture. Under the slogan “No to the destruction of public broadcasting”it brought together several hundred employees and a delegation was received at the ministry. “Your very strong strike today is already moving the lines, since the parliamentary agenda has miraculously been postponed by a month”launched the general secretary of the CGT, Sophie Binet, who came “provide support” of his union. Concerns are particularly strong at Radio France, where there are fears that radio will be swallowed up by TV.
“We are not against an evolution of our media but we do not want it to be done in a hasty manner to satisfy the political agenda of our minister”, for her part told AFP Mathilde Goupil, SNJ (National Union of Journalists) union delegate at France Télévisions. According to her, the lesser mobilization at France Télévisions can be explained by a “form of fatigue” after several reorganization projects in recent years.
“Very bad start”
For “gather strength” of public broadcasting, Ms. Dati plans a transitional phase with a common holding company on January 1, 2025, then the merger a year later. Some 16,000 employees are affected. In addition to France Télévisions and Radio France, the juggernaut would also include Ina (National Audiovisual Institute) and France Médias Monde (RFI, France 24). The integration of this last group, however, is debated even in the presidential camp. Within these four public companies, fears are acute for resources and jobs.
To staff, Rachida Dati assured Sunday: “I want to guarantee you not only your sustainability but (also) your strength” in a universe of “heightened competition”between platforms and social networks. “Obviously, we are not going to standardize either professions or activities”, she insisted on Wednesday before the Senate. The giant company, called “France Media”, would have a budget of four billion euros. To accelerate this project, the minister from LR relied on a bill from Senator Laurent Lafon (Centrist Union) programming a holding company, already adopted in June 2023 by the upper house.
“We are not opposed to the merger” but “we can wonder about the calendar”had underlined Mr. Lafon before the announcement of the postponement, which thwarted the government’s plans. “It’s a very bad start to get this reform passed”even prophesies a member of the majority. “Social mobilization will be very strong. It’s difficult, even if it doesn’t take away from the need for reform.”. The fate of France Médias Monde does not appear to be decided. Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné affirmed that the government was ultimately in favor of its exclusion from the single company. But discussions could be tight with the right, which is conversely attached to its inclusion.
