Revisions, rifts & reforms

Lithuania: Bill watered down but reservations remain

Following months of protests and international outrage, the Seimas has tweaked the proposed legislation which will restructure LRT’s governance. The bill, introduced last year, would expand the membership of the LRT Council from 12 members to 15, create a new five-member management board, increase the oversight of the board over the public broadcaster, and provide greater provisions to allow the director general to be removed from their role. 

Organisations such as the EBU, RSF and the Venice Commission all commented on the proposals, warning of the impact it would have on the independence of LRT, and would breach the European Media Freedom Act. “These measures risk increasing the vulnerability of the public broadcaster to political pressure rather than reinforcing its independence,” said a statement signed by a coalition of civil society organisations, including PMA, and public service broadcasters. At the same time, thousands of people in Vilnius turned out on several occasions to protest against the bill. 

Last week, the Seimas watered down some of the proposals. The board will now have more members appointed by civil society, rather than by politicians, although political appointees will still make up the majority of the board. It also provides greater limits on the board’s oversight of LRT’s editorial department. While the revisions were welcomed by the Lithuanian journalists association and the LRT staff protest committee, RSF’s Prague director, Pavol Szalai, still had major reservations. “This law could still be used to remove the current head of the public broadcaster. RSF urges the Seimas to finish the job and fix the legislation in line with the international standards before the final vote,” he said. 

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Belgium: Board turmoil after new head of news appointed

Five members of the right-wing Reform Movement party (MR), who sit on the administration board of RTBF, have resigned in protest over the appointment of Thomas Gadisseux as the public broadcaster’s head of news and sport. 

Out of a pool of twelve applications for the role, the board interviewed four, of which just two were in the final selection. However, one of those final candidates was found to not have all the right qualifications to meet the eligibility criteria, leaving Gadisseux as the only suitable applicant that had been reviewed by the board. 

While the MR board members asked for more time, rather than proceeding with Gadisseux’s appointment, this was ultimately rejected by the chair of the board, Joëlle Milquet, who is a member of Les Engages, a coalition partner of MR. The MR’s president, George Louis Bouchez, criticised Milquet.

The opposition Socialist Party subsequently raised concerns that the MR might be seeking to influence the appointment procedures at RTBF, a concern shared by the former chairman of the board, Jean-François Raskin. “They reveal a worrying attempt to politically redefine the rules of governance,” Raskin said. This was rejected by media minister Jacqueline Galant, who insisted “that the procedure was carried out in accordance with the applicable rules.”

Amid the ongoing turmoil, the board will still be able to ensure the well-functioning of the RTBF, with the members who resigned staying on until replacements are found.

Meanwhile, Galant and Milquet met to find a solution and to “quickly” restore a “climate of trust and mutual respect” among the board members. This is of heightened importance, given the impending appointment of a successor to the RTBF CEO, Jean-Paul Philippot.

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Colombia: Inravisión manager investigated over alleged partisan broadcasting

Colombia’s attorney general’s office has launched an investigation into Inravisión’s manager Hollman Morris, following allegations of utilising the public broadcaster to advance government-favoured political agendas. Inravisión, formerly known as RTVC, recently re-adopted its historic name and began operations within a new headquarters, a shift championed by President Gustavo Petro. 

The disciplinary investigation was initiated in response to a complaint by Julio César Garcés León, alleging that Morris utilised the broadcaster’s resources in support of the current presidential candidate, Iván Cepeda, who is standing as Petro’s party’s nominee (Petro is unable to stand as the Colombian constitution only allows one term for presidents). According to the complaint, such actions undermine the constitutional foundations of Colombia’s public broadcasting, including impartiality, pluralism, and institutional neutrality.  

The investigation against Morris, which will involve the identification of relevant journalists and editors in charge of the coverage in question, comes amid wider growing concerns about the role of public officials in the ongoing presidential campaign. More specifically, fears of the president damaging public confidence in elections have been brewing, following inappropriate comments from Petro on social media. Various political and business groups have highlighted his use of state platforms to influence the electoral process, leading to the filing of an official complaint against the President to the OAS Electoral Observation Mission. 

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