David Larramendy, who headed the advertising department of M6, was officially appointed chairman of the board of directors of the audiovisual group on Tuesday and succeeds the emblematic Nicolas de Tavernost, at the helm for 37 years.
Nicolas de Tavernost leaves the head of M6 after 37 years of governance (AFP / LUDOVIC MARIN)
Mr. de Tavernost, 73, has headed M6 since its creation in March 1987, first as deputy to the first CEO Jean Drucker then as boss since 2000. The group notably owns the TV channel of the same name and RTL radio.
Announced on February 13, the appointment of Mr. Larramendy, 50, was ratified on Tuesday by the supervisory board, after the general meeting, the group indicated in its first quarter results press release.
The M6 group includes four free TV channels (M6, W9, 6ter, Gulli), nine pay channels (including Paris Première and Téva), three radio stations (RTL, RTL2, Fun Radio) and production companies (such as SND for cinema).
In the first quarter of 2024, it achieved a turnover of 322.3 million euros, compared to 313 the previous year, it said in its results press release.
“Driven by the recovery of the TV advertising market”, its advertising turnover is up 2%, to 252 million euros.
Mr. Larramendy, 50, has headed the group’s advertising department since the end of 2014.
He joined M6 in 2008, after working for the merchant website Mistergooddeal in the early 2000s and then for the investment bank Goldman Sachs in London.
Its main challenge will be to move the M6 group into the audiovisual sector of tomorrow, while young people are turning away from traditional TV in favor of social networks and platforms such as Netflix.
Backed by successful shows like “Top Chef”, “L’amour est dans le pré” or the latest addition, “The Fair Price”, M6 will accelerate on on-demand television by launching its new free streaming platform in May , M6+, which will replace the current one, 6Play.
As general manager of M6 Publicité, he is replaced by Hortense Thomine-Desmazures, who was until then deputy general manager in charge of digital, innovation and marketing.