reform delayed, new antenna disruptions Friday | EUROtoday

The antennas and digital platforms of France 24 have been severely disrupted on Friday May 24 by the strike noticed since Thursday, on the name of all of the union organizations of France Médias Monde (France 24, RFI and MCD).

This is the second day of a strike by workers within the public audiovisual sector in opposition to the flash merger challenge, on January 1, 2026, defended by the Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati.

On Radio France, like Thursday, the same old broadcasts have been changed by music, sure information flashes remained on Franceinfo.

On the tv facet, the Franceinfo channel broadcast stay, not like Thursday when it rebroadcast applications. A banner however specified: “due to a call for a strike, we are not able to broadcast all of our programs”.

Postponement of examination of the textual content

MEPs have been resulting from debate this lightning reform at first studying on Thursday and Friday. But, confronted with the congestion of the agenda, the federal government took the choice to postpone it. The textual content might not be examined till June.

And this whereas the timetable desired by the Minister of Culture was already very constrained, with a merger of public broadcasting scheduled from January 1, 2026.

Read additionallyPublic broadcasting merger challenge: France 24 on strike

On the France Télévisions facet, there have been 12% of strikers on Thursday, all professions mixed, administration indicated. The 8 p.m. information on France 2 was produced “under special conditions”, indicated its presenter Anne-Sophie Lapix.

Several normal workers conferences have been held on Friday, together with a joint one on the Labor Exchange at 10:00 a.m. The strikers mentioned the continuation of the mobilization till the examination of the textual content within the Assembly.

“There is work to be done,” stated Antoine Chuzeville, SNJ union consultant (National Union of Journalists) at France Télévisions.

He talked about the chances of an “even larger gathering at the end of June”, of a “mobilization of listeners and viewers”, or of persuasion work with parliamentarians.

Benoît Gaspard, South delegate at Radio France, for his half judged the assembly by which the unions participated on the ministry on Thursday to be “disappointing”.

The members of Rachida Dati's cupboard “do not leave a fixed idea: a text of law will pass”, he stated. He recalled the unions' “opposition” to “any form of rapprochement between our companies”.

“Political agenda”

In addition to the strike, a number of rallies happened in France on Thursday, together with the principle one in Paris, close to the Ministry of Culture. Under the slogan “No to the destruction of public broadcasting”, it introduced collectively a number of hundred staff and a delegation was obtained on 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 overall secretary of the CGT, Sophie Binet, who got here to “provide support” for her union .

Concerns are significantly robust at Radio France, the place there are fears that radio might 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 rushed manner to satisfy the political agenda of our minister,” Mathilde Goupil, SNJ union consultant, advised AFP. (National Union of Journalists) at France Télévisions.

“It’s not completed”

To “bring together the forces” of public broadcasting, the Minister of Culture Rachida Dati plans a transitional section with a standard holding firm on January 1, 2025, then the merger a yr later. Some 16,000 staff are affected.

In addition to France Télévisions and Radio France, the juggernaut would additionally embrace Ina (National Audiovisual Institute) and France Médias Monde (RFI, France 24 and MCD). The integration of this final group, nonetheless, is debated even within the presidential camp.

Foreign Minister Stéphane Séjourné affirmed that the federal government was in the end in favor of its exclusion from the only firm. But discussions might be tight with the precise, which is conversely hooked up to its inclusion.

The Renaissance deputy and former minister, Clément Beaune, declared himself “not convinced by the current state of reform” of public broadcasting, Friday on Sud Radio.

“I understand the concern (…) I will be honest, I am not convinced by the current state of the reform” aimed on the merger of the completely different parts of public audiovisual inside a single entity, stated declared Mr. Beaune, former Minister Delegate for Europe (2020-22), then for Transport (2022-24).

“Are we integrating (in the new structure) France Médias Monde, external audiovisual, France 24 and RFI, which are television and radio stations essential to French influence in the world? I think that they should not be included in this audiovisual collection,” added the Paris MP, a member of the left wing of the presidential camp.

“It's not over, it's not complete. On a subject like that, I think we shouldn't go too quickly,” underlined Clément Beaune, pleading for “social dialogue” and a ” time needed to listen.

See additionallyFrance 24 and the reform of public broadcasting: who’re we?

Within these 4 public corporations, fears are acute for sources and jobs. The big firm, referred to as “France Médias”, would have a funds of 4 billion euros.

With AFP