Why the entire public audiovisual sector is on strike


Louise Bernard, with Alexis Patri
modified to

10:10 a.m., June 28, 2022

The employees of the TV channels, radio stations and news sites of France Télévisions, Radio France, France Médias Monde and the National Audiovisual Institute (INA), i.e. all of the public audiovisual sector, are on strike on Tuesday . They worry about several government plans for their future.

Nothing but music on France Inter, news in reduced formats on France 2 and France 3… Public broadcasting is on strike on Tuesday. In addition to employees of France Télévisions TV channels, Radio France radio stations, and their websites, there are also employees of France Médias Monde (France 24, RFI, etc.) and the National Audiovisual Institute (INA) who are protesting. That is to say the whole of the French public audiovisual sector, in France and abroad.

Employees of France Télévisions, Radio France, France Médias Monde and INA oppose the plan to abolish the audiovisual license fee. The social movement responds to a strike call from several unions, and a demonstration is planned in Paris on Tuesday noon. Public broadcasting could move from a fixed source of funding to a sum fixed each year in the State budget. This would weaken it and make it dependent on the mood of political leaders, according to the strikers. The independence of these groups would then also be weakened.

Concerns around the possible merger of public audiovisual groups

According to the newspaper The world, the government plans to include the public broadcasting budget in the public finance programming law, in order to calm these concerns. This law must be passed this fall. It would make it possible to give a form of guarantee on the sums which would be allocated to them.

There remains another point of tension, the possible merger between the various public audiovisual groups. The project was proposed in a recent Senate report. Probable consequences: drastic economic reductions, which also worry employees.



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