Emmanuel Rials, new boss of RCF

A cutting-edge professional for a way out of the crisis. On March 9, the boards of directors of RCF (Francophone Christian Radios) and Radio Notre-Dame appointed Emmanuel Rials as the new director of their group. As the press release soberly indicates, its main mission will be to “perfect the organization put in place following the merger” between the two branches. In other words, he will have to carry out the merger between the two structures, launched in March 2024 and bogged down since, as their cultures are so different.

Bringing together faith-based radio stations: Emmanuel Rials, 58, has already done it, but for another religion. In 2020, he took charge of the Jewish stations Radio J, Judaiques FM and Studio Qualita to merge them. Previously, he had managed several other media, including Skyrock, Fun Radio, and RTL2.

The financing challenge

The new manager is a “hyper-professional in radio, which is what makes this position so interesting,” declares a source close to the matter. And as another regular on Christian channels points out, he does not come from the inner circle of Catholic media. This gives it the legitimacy of an outside perspective to continue the merger of the two structures which have 300 employees and 3,000 volunteers.

Decided by the episcopate, this union was often perceived as giving pride of place to the Parisian media Radio Notre-Dame to the detriment of the 64 RCF stations. The installation in the premises of the first and the designation of its historic leader, Bruno Courtois, as sole director – until his dismissal in September 2025 – had accentuated this feeling.

In addition to this delicate subject, Emmanuel Rials will have to face the challenge of financing, while dioceses tend to disengage. “Many bishops do not necessarily see the need to subsidize their local radio when they can address their faithful via social networks,” explains a former member of these media. Member of the board of directors of the independent radio union, Emmanuel Rials will be judged on his skills in dialoguing with all these actors as well as with the local radio expression support fund (FSER), which pays public aid to RCF antennas.