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Just in: 350 jobs to go at Radio France

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norman lebrecht

July 17, 2015

Mathieu Gallet, the unpopular boss has announced the next round of cuts.

Radio France has 4,380 payroll staff, among them 756 journalists and 635 technicians.

BBC Radio, beware.

Comments

John Borstlap says:

July 17, 2015 at 2:27 pm

The picture is, in the context, hilarious.

V.Lind says:

July 17, 2015 at 2:50 pm

Not to sound humourless, but I fail to see any context in which that picture is “hilarious.” You must have loved…nope. Not even as a wrist-slap.

Reply

PDQ.BACH says:

July 17, 2015 at 3:25 pm

If only Monsieur Gallet were unpopular for the right reasons: for articulating a realistic vision of modern radio and for taking the tough decisions that someone in charge of Radio France, sooner or later, had to take.

But no, he antagonises radio’s more useful elements, then ushers them out. Mostly he goes after his critics, silencing the softer targets.
Example: the legendary Alex Taylor, that most francophile of British journalists.

If M. Gallet cared to trim the hypertrophic administration of Radio France (“trim the mammoth fat”, as a much-hated Education minister once said) rather than the creative and technical staff, he’d even earn grudging applause. If he tried to bring the Maison the la Radio firmly into the digital, networked 21st century, he’d arguably help save cultural radio. But that would require a media man with a clue. M. Gallet has only shown his aptitude for meandering in the corridors of power.

Rosana Martins says:

July 18, 2015 at 4:49 am

These are shocking news! Radio France is a “historical landmark” in the French cultural life and presents some of the most interesting, informative programmes.

Besides firing people or expecting an additional 350 “voluntary retirements”, has M. Gallet exposed his ideas for the different channels?