The Federation Wallonia-Brussels (FWB), also known as the French Community of Belgium, plans to reduce its local media outlets from twelve to eight by January 2031.
TV operators had concerns about the proposal drafted by Media Minister Jacqueline Galant (MR), but the final plan which has been presented on Tuesday is less drastic than initially suggested last autumn when Galant proposed reducing the number to just six.
The liberal minister justifies the reform by citing budget constraints at the FWB. The objective is to optimise sector organisation by focusing resources on fewer, better-structured, and geographically coherent media outlets.
From January 2031, the FWB will subsidise only one local media per province, except in Hainaut and Liège, where two outlets will be supported due to their larger populations.
This reduction will notably impact regions like Hainaut, currently served by four media outlets, and the Namur province, which has three.
Jacqueline Galant plans to give operators a little over five years to prepare for possible mergers.
In addition to streamlining, Galant encourages, though does not mandate, synergies with RTBF, a detail that will be reflected in the upcoming amendment to the public broadcaster’s management contract.
The proposal includes several budgetary measures. Starting in 2026, the indexation of subsidies for local media will cease, mirroring decisions previously made for RTBF.
Furthermore, employment promotion assistance (8.4 million euros in 2023) for local media will decrease by 10% annually until existing agreements with FWB end.
The document notes a need to “rebalance employment promotion funds among different local media” due to disparities.
Local media are also encouraged to seek funding from private partners.
Galant’s plan incorporates significant administrative simplification, aiming to reduce or eliminate various production constraints. However, the primary missions of providing information and promoting culture remain.
After months of consultations, the reform proposal was presented as open to change rather than fixed. The minister has offered to collaborate with stakeholders to enrich the project and has scheduled a follow-up meeting for 10 June.
