Dujardin Named New RTBF Head From November 2026

The government of the Federation Wallonia-Brussels (FWB) has appointed Christophe Dujardin as the new general administrator of RTBF, the French-language Belgian public broadcaster. Dujardin, 54, will succeed Jean-Paul Philippot, who has led the organisation for 24 years, taking office on 1 November 2026 for a six-year mandate. The decision, announced on Friday 18 September 2026, closed a selection process that had been running since February.

A Long Selection Process

According to RTBF, the broadcaster’s board of directors forwarded three names to the government in mid-July: Caroline Franckx, chief executive of CHU Brugmann; Emmanuel Tourpe, a media director at France Televisions and a former RTBF programmes director; and Dujardin, currently chief consumer officer at telecoms operator Orange Belgium.

The three candidates had applied to an open call launched in February 2026 and were interviewed by a panel of experts. The final step was an audition before the Superior Audiovisual Council (CSA), which heard the candidates on 27 August and published its non-binding opinion in early September.

Per the CSA’s official opinion, dated 4 September 2026, the regulator recommended Dujardin or Franckx ex-aequo, ahead of Tourpe. The government ultimately followed that guidance in proposing Dujardin’s name.

Official Reactions

“In a few weeks, a new page will open for RTBF. Christophe Dujardin will help write it and rise to the challenges awaiting the public service,” Media Minister Jacqueline Galant (MR) said. She cited his “experience in transforming organisations and leading change, in both the public and private sectors, as well as his digital expertise” as determining factors in the government’s choice.

Philippot welcomed the appointment “on behalf of all RTBF staff” and said he was “entirely at his disposal to prepare his arrival and guarantee a transition as smooth as it is efficient.” The board of directors noted that Dujardin’s career, “unifying leadership” and support for public-service values had led it to pre-select him unanimously.

In his first statement, Dujardin said he wished to approach the mission “with humility, ambition and independence,” adding that editorial independence, rigour and pluralism are “essential conditions for public trust.” He said his immediate priority would be to “listen, meet and prepare,” and that he remains fully committed to his obligations to Orange until he takes up the post.

From Telecoms to Public Media

Dujardin studied economics and social sciences in Namur before completing a master’s in treasury management in Antwerp. He began his career as a financial analyst at Bpost, then joined public operator Belgacom—later renamed Proximus—where he rose from financial controller to financial director and then sales director. He moved to Orange Belgium in 2020 and oversaw the operator’s integration of Voo in November 2025.

The CSA described him as “the candidate with the greatest experience in business management and change leadership,” praising the Voo integration as “seamless on the human level” and commending his “humane management style.” It nonetheless regretted “the unimpressive character of his oral presentation,” noting that his knowledge of media technology exceeded his knowledge of content production and creation.

Challenges Ahead

Dujardin inherits a broadcaster with a budget of roughly EUR 480 million—about EUR 370 million of it public subsidy—and some 1,900 staff. As Paris Match Belgique reported, the role carries a salary capped at EUR 335,722.09 gross per year, indexed, with all bonuses included, and the appointment comes amid budget pressure after the media minister announced in July that RTBF would have to make new savings.

The move also underscores a political shift. Dujardin is the only finalist drawn from the private sector, and his appointment aligns with the MR’s stated aim of bringing more private-sector figures into public structures. The MR-Les Engages majority intends to refocus RTBF on its public-service missions, leaving more room for private media, review its acquisition of sports broadcasting rights, and require sharing of the Auvio streaming platform with other operators.

As 21news noted, Dujardin had secured the unanimous backing of the 13 RTBF board members in the earlier phase—against 12 votes for Franckx and eight for Tourpe—signalling that consensus around his candidacy was relatively easy to build within the governing coalition.

What’s Next

Philippot stays at the helm until 31 October to manage the transition, and Dujardin takes office on 1 November. Within two months of his appointment, he must present a strategic plan for the organisation through 2032 to the FWB Parliament. That plan will shape negotiations due to open in 2027 on RTBF’s next management contract, covering 2028 to 2032.

He faces a media landscape in flux: falling advertising revenues, foreign platforms, social networks, the rise of artificial intelligence, disinformation and declining trust in traditional media. A first evaluation of his performance is due at mid-mandate in 2029, with a final review in 2032.