Those readers who habitually listen to France Radios (France Info for news, France Inter for popular features, France Culture for serious discussion and France Musique for classical music and jazz) cannot have failed to notice frequent announcements that programmes are not being presented in their "integralité" due to a grevè (strike) by various broadcasting unions.
This is not too unusual, but this strike has now lasted over two weeks following the appointment of a new director for France Radios. Mathieu Gallet was tasked with reducing costs at the stations and improving the programmes. He has proposed job cuts of about 300 more senior posts and programme changes (nothing as radical as axing "The Archers" would be). The on-air effects are wall to wall music interspersed with news bulletins and some scheduled broadcasts. Some may think that this independent radio style programming is fine, but how we would miss our Radio 4 and Radio 3 and these are the type of programmes being damaged by the strike.
Minister of Culture, Fleur Pelerin, has called on M Gallet to re-open negociations.
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