News

The French government has announced a reduction of 80 million Euro to the budget of the public broadcasting sector in France, targeting several different broadcasting organisations.

These cuts will lead to loss of employment in the public broadcasting organisations, with more than a thousand jobs at risk in 2018. These cuts come in addition to job reductions already taking place in the public broadcasting sector. The dramatic reduction to the budget will also have more widespread impact in the audiovisual and cinematographic sector as public investment in production is reduced.

Responding to a call of the French affiliates of EURO-MEI, the workers of public radio and television went on strike on 17 October. They demonstrated before the National Assembly as the parliament started its debate on the 2018 budget, and received support from the members of the opposition who took the floor to support them in their struggle.

“This is an unprecedented attack against public service broadcasting in France. In the short term this drastic cut to the budget threatens the mission of public service broadcasting to defend media pluralism and cultural diversity; in the long term the development of new digital media is at stake. Like elsewhere in Europe, it is the future of public service broadcasting that is now directly threatened”, says William Maunier, president of EURO-MEI

EURO-MEI and its affiliates express their solidarity and support to the workers in the public radio and television in France.

Please see below for our full statement.