The public broadcasting merger project driven by Rachida Dati is falling behind schedule. Its examination in the National Assembly was postponed on Thursday May 23, while the entire sector is on strike to oppose it. Several general staff meetings are to be held on Friday.
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The antennas of Radio France and Radio France Internationale (RFI) were still disrupted this Friday morning, on the second day of a strike by staff in the public audiovisual sector against the merger project defended by the Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati . A joint general meeting of staff is to be held in the morning of this Friday, at the Labor Exchange in Paris.
MEPs were due to debate this lightning reform at first reading on Thursday and Friday. But the government decided to postpone it, arguing that the agenda was overcrowded. The text could be examined in June, while the timetable desired by the Minister of Culture was already very constrained, with a merger of public broadcasting scheduled for January 1, 2026.
On Thursday in any case, from the regional networks of France 3 or France Bleu to the Parisian headquarters, the entire sector went on strike. The Radio France antennas were very disrupted and the usual broadcasts replaced by music. According to management, the rate of strikers stood at 33% for all employees, compared to 55% among journalists. As for France Télévisions, there were 12% of strikers, all professions combined, management indicated. As a result, the Franceinfo channel rebroadcast programs. The 8 p.m. news on France 2 was produced “ under special conditions », indicated its presenter Anne-Sophie Lapix.
To ensure the retransmission of the debate in the evening on France 2 between Prime Minister Gabriel Attal and the president of the National Rally (RN) Jordan Bardella, management used external service providers, according to the unions.
Read alsoFrance: public broadcasting, including RFI, on strike against a controversial reform project
“ Political agenda »
In addition to the strike, several rallies took place in France on Thursday, including 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 “ bring the 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 this to be done in a rushed manner to satisfy the political agenda of our minister », For her part, Mathilde Goupil, union representative of the National Union of Journalists (SNJ) at France Télévisions, declared to Agence France-Presse (AFP).
According to her, the lesser mobilization at France Télévisions can be explained by a “ form of fatigue » after several reorganization projects in recent years.
Uncertainty over the fate of France Médias Monde
For ” gather strength » of public broadcasting, Rachida 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.
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In addition to France Télévisions and Radio France, the juggernaut would also include the INA (National Audiovisual Institute) and France Médias Monde (RFI, France 24, MCD). But the integration of this last group is however debated even in the presidential camp. The fate of France Médias Monde does not appear to be decided. The Minister of Foreign Affairs, 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.
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 sustainability but [aussi] your strength » in a universe of « heightened competition », between platforms and social networks. “ Obviously, we are not going to standardize either the professions or the activities “, she insisted on Wednesday in front of the Senate.
The giant company, called “France Médias”, would have a budget of four billion euros.
To accelerate this project, the minister from the Les Républicains (LR) group 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 calendarr”, underlined Mr. Lafon before the announcement of the postponement.
“ It’s a very bad start to pass this reform “, even prophesies a majority deputy. “ Social mobilization will be very strong. It is difficult, although that does not detract from the need for reform. »