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The Syndicat National des Radios Libres (SNRL) and Confédération Nationale des Radios Associatives (CNRA), two major organizations representing community radio in France, have issued a joint statement condemning the government’s proposed 35% cut to the Fonds de Soutien à l’Expression Radiophonique (FSER) in the 2025 Finance Bill.
FSER is the French government fund established to support community radio stations, mainly non-commercial broadcasters. It plays a crucial role in maintaining the diversity of the French media landscape by enabling these stations to produce content that reflects local voices and issues rather than being dominated by commercial interests. According to SNRL and CNRA, the funding cut would remove more than 10 million euros from the community radio sector, with potentially devastating consequences for local stations nationwide.
SNRL and CNRA, representing nearly 700 community radio stations, warn that the reduction jeopardizes a sector crucial to local democratic and cultural life. They add that community radio stations play a pivotal role by providing a voice to underrepresented groups, fostering social cohesion and encouraging diverse viewpoints.
Despite these efforts, the government’s proposed cuts disproportionately target community radio stations, which account for only 4% of the Media, Books and Cultural Industries Department’s budget. Out of the €12 million in overall savings demanded by the Finance Bill, €10.4 million would be removed from local radio funding, a move SNRL and CNRA call “an existential threat” to many stations.
Last-mile media
SNRL and CNRA warn that the consequences of this cut will be severe, particularly in terms of employment. Community radio is the second-largest employer in the French radio sector, and job losses are likely if stations cannot secure sufficient funding. More broadly, SNRL and CNRA argue that the very existence of these stations is under threat. If implemented, the funding reduction could lead to the closure of numerous stations, undermining diversity and pluralism in the French media landscape.
Community radio stations, often described as “last-mile media,” provide a valuable alternative to mainstream outlets by supporting local artists, promoting regional initiatives and offering training opportunities for volunteers and employees. SNRL and CNRA say they, therefore, find the proposed cuts paradoxical in light of the government’s stated commitment to media diversity and press freedom. Initiatives like the États Généraux de l’Information, intended to bolster these values, and ARCOM’s acceleration of DAB+ deployment, where community radio plays a central role, seem at odds with the financial threat now being imposed on the sector. In addition, community radio plays a key part in the Social and Solidarity Economy (SSE), which is recognized for fostering citizen cohesion.
The two organizations are urging members of parliament and local elected officials to reject the proposal and support community radio stations, which serve as vital tools for local democracy and cultural life. SNRL and CNRA stress that the government’s approach risks destabilizing an already vulnerable sector, which has long operated with limited resources but remains essential to French society.
“We cannot allow community radio to be the casualty of budget cuts,” the statement reads. “The repercussions will be felt not only by the stations themselves but by the communities they serve, the local artists they support, and the social and cultural fabric they help to strengthen.”
You can read the full joint statement in French here.
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