Radio ARA is pleased to announce that an agreement has been reached with the Luxembourg’s Government to finance the activities of the radio station. The contract, on the basis of 250,000 € from 2021 to 2025, was formalised and signed yesterday by the Prime Minister and Minister of Communications and Media, Xavier Bettel and our radio representatives Mr Guy Antony, Mr Lex Thiel, Ms Lisa McLean and Ms Sandra Laborier.
The state recognised the important task of Radio ARA as an inclusive media, a symbol of citizen participation, a contributor to intercultural dialogue and a bearer of educational values, as well as being a key player in the process of informing and integrating the most marginalised communities in the Grand Duchy. The Prime Minister congratulated Radio ARA for its efforts in establishing itself as a central citizen platform representing various interests and social groups, addressing the general public while including communities not well served by other media. He noted the role played by Radio ARA during the COVID-19 pandemic in broadcasting internationally recognised multilingual information programmes and confirming Radio ARA as a key player in an environment that guarantees the fundamental right to freedom of expression and information.
The financial aid that will be collected over the next few years will be essential for Radio ARA to fix a financial situation that had become critical in 2019 and was helped thanks to the journalistic and integration projects funded by the Oeuvre Grand-Duchesse Charlotte, and in 2020 thanks to a long crowdfunding campaign in which thousands of citizens participated, along with artists, organisations and local businesses.
“One thing that has overwhelmed us over the past year, is the outpouring of support we have received from different people in Luxembourg and beyond. In fact, much of the support online has come from other journalists here and abroad, many of whom started their career at Radio ARA, I guess the ARA community atmosphere, has created lasting ties, that we hadn’t really appreciated, until now. So, we are hugely grateful to everyone who has supported us; our listeners, our financial and political supporters, our volunteers, the different communities that are involved at the radio, Oeuvre and obviously the staff here, who have done everything possible to raise awareness and push for this support. ”
– Lisa McLean
Radio ARA