The Wallonia-Brussels Federation Government has approved, at second reading, the reform bill to rescue local media. This reform aims to guarantee the sustainability of the ecosystem, at a time when several stakeholders acknowledge that the current funding and operating model would not enable them to ensure their continuity in the long run. On this occasion, the Minister for Media responded, among other things, to the observations of the CSA's Advisory College. The draft decree will now be sent to the Council of State. « At a time when certain local media publicly admit that the current funding and operating model is no longer sustainable, and therefore acknowledge the need for structural change to diversify their revenue sources, the Government is calmly continuing the implementation of this reform, essential to the sector's viability, far from the falsehoods that could fuel the concern of citizens attached to local information », says Jacqueline Galant, Minister for Media.
A reform to strengthen and stabilise the ecosystem without compromising pluralism
As a reminder, the new decree provides that the number of recognised local media will be limited to eight, compared to twelve currently. They will have to ensure full coverage of their new territory. As planned from the outset, they will have complete freedom regarding the organisational arrangements chosen to meet this obligation (creation of decentralised newsrooms, diversification of distribution channels, possible retention of brands, etc.).
To support this transition, the Government will financially back merger projects between local media up to a maximum amount of €1.2 million. The creation of decentralised newsrooms may in particular benefit from this support.
This second reading was an opportunity to respond to comments made, among others, by the CSA's Advisory College, for example regarding the return of Mayors and Aldermen to boards of directors, which the reform no longer provides for. The process of continuous improvement of the reform bill will continue until the third reading.
« It is now becoming clear that in several regions, local authorities are no longer able to sustainably fund their local media. For a year now I have been warning: the current ecosystem is no longer sustainable, well before this Government took office. It is crucial that everyone adopts a long-term vision: without a bold reform of the ecosystem, without the merging of the smallest players, without adapting their structures to stably integrate private funding, it is the very future of this ecosystem that is at stake » Jacqueline Galant concludes.
Trade unions were received
The trade unions were received last Friday by the Minister's Cabinet for a nearly two-hour exchange, conducted in a respectful and constructive spirit. They were reminded that at a time when savings are essential in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation and all sectors are being asked to contribute, it is not inconsistent for the local media ecosystem to also take part in the collective effort. As a reminder, the savings planned for 2026 amount to €500,000, reducing the endowment from €10.5 million to €10 million. Furthermore, the Government has committed not to apply any further savings measures to this endowment until the end of the legislature, a guarantee that few subsidised organisations enjoy in the current financial situation.
The main concern raised by the trade unions concerns the future of the APE scheme, which is currently being reformed. The Cabinet has committed to keeping them informed of the potential impact of this reform on local media as soon as a clear picture is available. It should be recalled that the APE reform concerns the entire Walloon territory and the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, and goes far beyond the local media sector alone.