Belgium/Community media reform: AKT for Wallonia offers financial support to companies
Last May, Minister Jacqueline Galant (MR), in charge of media in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, presented her plan to reform local media (local TV). The number of local TV stations would be reduced from 12 to 8. Public funding would be reduced, and local media would be invited to seek other resources, notably in the private sector. AKT for Wallonia, the Walloon business network, is proposing that Walloon companies contribute to funding in exchange for more coverage of company news.
How will local media, formerly known as "local and community television", be financed in the future? The reform initiated by Minister Jacqueline Galant (MR), Minister for the Media in the Wallonia-Brussels Federation, envisages a reduction in the number of these media by 2031: from the current 12 televisions, only 8 will remain.In Hainaut, the number would drop from four to two, and in the Province of Namur, from three to one.This reduction in the number of local media would be accompanied by a reduction in the budgets allocated by the Wallonia-Brussels Federation.
Against this backdrop, local media were invited to seek other sources of funding, for example from the private sector.
Today, as Sud Info revealed in its columns, the Walloon business network AKT for Wallonia is putting a proposal on the table.The federation, formed by the merger of Wallonia's chambers of commerce and the former Union wallonne des entreprises, says that Walloon companies could take a stake in local TV stations, in exchange for greater coverage of the news that concerns them.
Not enough focus on socio-economic issues in local media, says AKT
This proposal to finance local media is a "common position" adopted by AKT for Wallonia, explains Jérôme Vecchio, the Hainaut-based boss in charge of this dossier for the Walloon business association.
Why should Walloon companies finance local media? "We've always defended local television. We believe it's an important tool for citizens and for local democracy," replies Jérôme Vecchio. What's in it for the companies? "We could have a little more visibility for businesses," continues Jérôme Vecchio. "If you take a local TV station, it's going to defend [its region], and rightly so, and present news, current affairs, sport and culture. And that's absolutely important, and we have to maintain it," adds the Hainaut-based boss. But, he explains, "we also feel that these local TV stations are a little lacking in vision on socio-economic issues and projects, such as local companies that are performing well, looking to hire or innovating, for example".
In each of the areas covered by local media, local businesses would benefit from this funding. "The idea was to intervene in all local television stations with private funds, so that a company in Tournai, for example, could talk to its local Tournai television station".
According to Jérôme Vecchio, local media could be financed by companies via "an intervention by chambers of commerce". "Because we don't want to favor a company that has a monopoly on a territory and would take a share in the capital [...].The aim is to shine a light on all the companies in a catchment area", explains the boss, who can well imagine "socio-economic debates" like "on national television"."I'm convinced that we can reproduce this same model in local television," he says.
AKT insists it will not interfere with the editorial line of local TV stations
Interviewed by RTBF, Jérôme Vecchio reassures us that private funding of local media does not mean control of their editorial line." It's not our job to write the editorial line," says Jérôme Vecchio."We'll always let journalistic democracy reign, because it's always the editor-in-chief and his teams who write the editorial line," he continues. "Of course, this line is presented to the Board of Directors and the General Meeting", he adds.he adds, which would allow "certain programs during the day or week to include business programs".
A proposal in line with the Minister's reform objectives
AKT for Wallonia's proposal is subject to further clarification, should local TV stations and the Minister express an interest.At this stage, AKT for Wallonia is not in a position to determine the level of investment that companies would make in local media, and is waiting for the decree governing local media to allow its intervention.
Today, Minister Galant's office explains that the current reform already provides for the modification of the decree, notably with regard to the composition of the board of directors of community media, in order to make it more effective.They will also limit the size of the board (if they are to be recognized and funded).
The Minister's office adds that AKT's suggestion is in line with the objectives of the Minister, who has already explained in recent months that community media should be less dependent on public subsidies and more open to private investment.
Still according to the Minister's office, this suggestion by AKT for Wallonia, like others from the private sector, will have to be refined and worked on to analyze its technical feasibility.
Source: www.rtbf.be/
