Broadcaster RTBF plans 12% budget cut by 2028

French-speaking radio and television service RTBF is aiming to make a total of €132 million in cost savings between now and 2028, cutting its annual budget by 12% by 2028 or €55 million per year, under a plan approved by its board of directors.

This budget decrease will be achieved by €4.1 million in additional annual revenue and €22 million in cost reductions each year through “optimisation, efficiency measures and targeted editorial adjustments”.

This €22 million will be saved by not, as promised, replacing departing staff and by implementing a new plan for voluntary early retirement, although there will be no redundancies. Postponing certain investments will free up an additional €5.5 million per year, RTBF said.

These adjustments follow the decision by the government of the Wallonia-Brussels Federation not to index public funding for the broadcaster.

RTBF said that “the 2025-2028 budget plan aims to enable RTBF to fulfil its public service remit, while respecting the expected financial balance and without any redundancies”.

The board of directors underlined the quality of the work carried out by all teams involved in the construction of this plan, “which will enable RTBF to maintain a high quality editorial offering, accessible to all inhabitants of Wallonia and Brussels”.

In addition, RTBF said that a “strategic reorientation note will be submitted in the coming months. It will specify the new actions to be taken to keep pace with changes in the media landscape.”

Savings are necessary, especially given the FWB’s recent announcement that it has a budgetary gap of €350 million which needs to be filled by cuts in the education, culture, science and social services sectors.