French-language local radio stations in the canton of Bern join forces

This was announced jointly by the BNJ and Gassmann media groups on Wednesday. According to their own statements, they want to join forces to ensure the continued existence of high-quality local media in the French-speaking region of the canton of Bern. The German-language program Canal 3 is not affected.

The existing RJB and Canal 3 radios will be combined in a joint venture owned equally by the two media groups. They will broadcast a joint program under the name RJB. The main broadcasting studio will be located in Tavannes, with a city studio remaining in Biel.

The combined editorial offices could provide a better public service for the small region, according to the justification. The merger is also a reaction to the decline in advertising revenues.

Only one concession left

In addition, preparations are being made for the new award of licenses, which the federal government is planning for January 1, 2025. Only one radio license is still planned for the Biel/Bienne-Bernese Jura region.

The cooperation between BNJ and Gassmann does not end with the radio stations. Also the editorial offices of the newspaper Journal du Jura and the online platform Ajour.ch will become part of the new overall editorial team. The merger is to take place gradually in the first half of this year.

The goal is to work with Ajour.ch to provide an indispensable information and entertainment platform for the people of the Bernese Jura and Biel. The platform was launched in March 2022 and already includes the content of the Gassmann Group's media brands.

Two departures in the German-speaking management of the Gassmann Group were announced on Tuesday: The editor-in-chief of the Bieler Tagblatt, Lino Schaeren, is going the same way as the head of Ajour.ch, Sophie Hostettler. (SDA)