—english version below—
(LU) Community Medien unerkennen – an d’Zukunft vun der Medienlandschaft investéieren.
Haut den Owend woren déi bénévol an déi ugestallten Mataarbechter*innen vu Radio ARA bei d’Politik liichten. D’Wichtegkeet vu Community Medien gouf an der Pandemie verdäitlecht: Et geet ëm den Access op Informatioun an op d’Antenne grad och fir Minoritéiten, et geet ëm d’Medienkompetenz an der Breed an ëm de Medien- a Meenungspluralismus. Community Medien ginn zu Lëtzebuerg nach net als drëtte Pilier vum Mediesecteur unerkannt – grad dat diverst Lëtzebuerg ass domat eng Ausnam an Europa.
Fir Radio ARA geet et doriwwer eraus ëm d’Iwwerliewen. Zanter 3 Joer ass Radio ARA a Verhandlungen mam Medienministère fir enger onsécherer Zukunft ze begéinen. Zanter iwwer engem Joer si mir an akuter finanzieller Gefor. An den Diskussiounen ronderëm d’Pressehëllef a ronderëm de Service Public ass d’Fro vun de Community Medien ëmmer nees ënnert den Dësch gefall. Iwwert ee Crowdfunding an Drëttmëttel aus ganz verschiddenen Dëppen huet sech den ARA iwwer Waasser gehalen. Radio ARA krut an dëser Zäit international Unerkennung an och Ënnerstëtzung, ë.a. vum Community Media Forum Europe (CMFE). An enger ganz kuerzfristeg ugekënnegter Entrevue tëscht Radio ARA an dem Medieministère haut de Mëtten gouf eis elo e Minimalkompromëss proposéiert, deen de Radio ARA sou just virum ënnergoe rette géif – Detailer bleiwen nach ze klären. Natierlech si mir als éischt emol erliichtert.
Et geet awer schlussendlech ëm d’Fro, wéi d’Medienlandschaft vu muer ausgesäit – an déi Fro ass a kenger vun deenen aktuellen Diskussiounen wierklech zougelooss ginn. Den Media Pluralism Monitor 2020 verweist nees drop, dass et zu Lëtzebuerg (besonnescht beim Radio) eng ze staark Konzentratioun bei de Besetzverhältnisser gëtt an dass den Access vu Minoritéiten op Medien net garantéiert ass.
Dass ëffentlechen Drock d’Politik zum Alenken bréngt ass een Zeechen, dat Hoffnung mécht. Et ass elo essentiell, net op dësem Punkt stoen ze bleiwen. Eis Aktioun haut den Owend soll weisen, dass et ëm méi geet, wéi Feier ze läschen.
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(EN) Recognition of Community Media – and investing in the future of Luxembourg’s media landscape.
This evening volunteers and staff from Radio ARA took to the streets in an effort to enlighten Luxembourg’s politicians. The importance of community radio became even more apparent during the pandemic. Community media is about access to information and gives a voice to minorities, moreover, it is also about media literacy and media-pluralism. Unfortunately, despite the diversity of Luxembourg’s citizens, community media is not recognised as the third pillar of the media sector – this remains an exception in Europe.
For Radio ARA it is also about survival.
For the past three years, Radio ARA has been in discussions with the Media Ministry in efforts to secure our future; and in the past year we have been in acute financial danger. During the ongoing discussions about Press Aid and what constitutes Public Service, the role of community media was continuously brushed aside. Only through crowdfunding and other external financial aid has ARA managed to stay afloat. Yet during this period Radio ARA has received international recognition, for example, from the Community Media Forum Europe (CMFE), for its support of the various international communities in Luxembourg.
In a very spontaneous meeting between Radio ARA and the Media Ministry this afternoon we were offered a basic compromise that will offer some financial security for the radio station – the details are yet to be clarified. Our immediate reaction is of course relief.
Ultimately, however, Radio ARA’s survival also related to the question of what tomorrow’s media landscape in Luxembourg should look like, and this question has not been adequately addressed in any of the current discussions. The EU’s Media Pluralism Monitor 2020 once again pointed out that media in Luxembourg (in particular radio) is concentrated in the hands of a few organizations and that minorities have very limited access to the media.
That public pressure such as ours can bringing politics to a standstill is a sign of hope. It is essential however that we are not complacent, our action this evening should convey that it is not enough to simply put out fires.
(Photos: Gerry Huberty, Radio ARA)
