Editorial March 2024

As winter comes to an end and the first flowers bloom in the gardens, the Texas sun grows increasingly hotter, to the point of overwhelming tourists in the midst of summer. Here, it’s evident that the same presidential match may well replay, much to the despair of many voters. Among them are the more moderate Republicans, disgusted by the extreme right drift imposed by Trump on their party, and Democrats who, for some, haven’t fully accepted how their administration handled the Palestinian crisis.

What will be interesting to see in the coming months is how the votes will align during the presidential elections. Beyond purely political questions, there are many subjects that even among Republicans may not sit well. Clearly, the right to abortion, banned by far-right Republican extremists, has shocked society, including within their ranks, not just among the women who are primarily affected.

In Europe, similar concerns weigh on the upcoming European elections. There’s a dilemma as there are no longer strictly speaking left-wing parties in Europe, since the difference between what was once the moderate left and the far right, coupled with the undemocratic nature of the European system, leaves little hope for the outcome of these elections, which are shunned by a majority of voters.

In fact, for the past decade in Europe, art has been selling increasingly poorly. We are far from the flourishing 1980s when one could even see queues of buyers outside certain art galleries. Bayou Blue Radio, on the other hand, is preparing for its transition to FM. With each passing day, we’re getting closer, and at a time when we’re seeing more and more articles about the decline of traditional media for obvious reasons—lack of credibility, viewers and readers dispersing towards the diversity offered by social networks, whether debatable or not—these are just facts. Regarding radios, it’s almost certain that few will be affected. In fact, thematic radios are expected to fare the best.

With this goal in mind, the news must be impeccable and different. We won’t reveal our internal recipes here, but we are genuinely preparing something very different—a news that doesn’t just cover current events but also reflects on societal, political, or cultural subjects. On the music side, many of you have noticed the constant improvement in our music programming. Again, we won’t reveal our recipes because it’s not just about rigor in our choices, but about an artistic identity that we uphold. Those who follow us already know this; you can read our articles on Paris-Move in English, and starting this March, you’ll be able to read some of our articles, this time in the French magazine ABS.

Thierry De Clemensat

Editor in chief

 Bayou Blue Radio/Bayou Blue News