STATEMENT

Belgium: PMA deeply concerned by severity of cuts for VRT

2 October 2026

Further cuts for VRT will be hugely disruptive at a time when the vital role of public service media is only becoming more pronounced.

The Public Media Alliance is deeply concerned by the announcement of new funding cuts for Flemish public broadcaster VRT.

The cuts, announced this week as part of a broader austerity package by the Flemish government, will require VRT to reduce spending by almost €10 million by 2029. These cuts are in addition to €16.6 million in savings already required under the public broadcaster’s management agreement covering 2026-2030 and come after savings of €25 million in the period 2021-2025. Collectively, VRT has lost 31.5 percent of its public funding since 2007.

VRT currently receives the equivalent of just €3.70 in public funding per inhabitant per month, one of the lowest levels in Western and Northern Europe. Yet despite this, VRT manages to reach 90.6 percent of people in Flanders every week across all platforms, with 75 percent of the Flemish population (over the age of 13) registered to use its online services. Furthermore, the reach of its news services has grown to 83.2 percent, reaching 86.7 percent of young people.

Further cuts will only undermine these achievements and they will be hugely disruptive at a time when public service media shoulder immense responsibilities: acting as a trusted frontline resource in countering growing disinformation and polarisation; spearheading cultural resilience and fostering social cohesion; and investing in tech and innovation, driven by public service principles. All this amid rampant technological disruption, when domestic media markets face inexorable financial constraints, and the international media space is dominated by foreign companies.

For these reasons, the Public Media Alliance calls on the Flemish government to reverse their decision and ensure adherence to Article 5 of the European Media Freedom Act (EMFA), which obliges member states to “guarantee that public service media providers have adequate, sustainable and predictable financial resources”.

“The situation facing VRT is alarming, but it sadly reflects wider tensions across Europe regarding public funding, political decision making, and how public media should adapt their services in an increasingly fragmented media environment,” said PMA’s CEO, Kristian Porter. “Within the context of Northern and Western Europe in particular, VRT’s situation is acute. We stand in solidarity with our member and urge the Flemish government to reconsider and remedy the situation as soon as possible”.