France

RFI, public radio and TV strike against media reform law

Article published on the 2008-11-26 Latest update 2008-11-26 13:26 TU

Public media protested in Paris, 25 November 2008
(Photo : L. Mouaoued/RFI)

Several thousand radio and television workers took the streets Tuesday to protest a law to reform public media being discussed in the National Assembly. According to France Televisions management, 43.3 per cent of the company's personnel stopped work. Several Radio France stations were interrupted and most of RFI programming in French and other languages.

President Nicolas Sarkozy surprised everyone when he announced in January that all advertisements would be cut from publicly owned media.

Minister of Culture Christine Albanel called the law “a real tool for popular culture” that will end up transforming France Televisions. Jean-François Copé, who headed a parliamentary commission to study the reform, calls the law “historic” and “brave”.

The opposition Socialist Party calls it a “helping hand for friends”,  which will push advertising money to private channels, some of whose bosses are close to Sarkozy, they claim.

Albanel tried to reassure opponents to the law that the 250 million euros in lost revenue would be guaranteed through 2011.

The law not only bans advertisements as of 5 January next year, it also gives the President more power to appoint the directors of the various public media companies.

Strike organisers reported that 4,000 public media employees showed up for a march that went from the Eiffel Tower to the National Assembly building. The police said there were 2,000 people.