Logo of the CNews channel, archive photo dated March 26, 2019. (AFP/Archives/Lionel BONAVENTURE)
On the grill of the commission of inquiry into TNT frequencies, figures from the CNews channel and its parent company Canal+ tried to dodge criticism on Thursday.
Owned by Vivendi, controlled by conservative billionaire Vincent Bolloré, the Canal+ group is in the sights of this commission launched by LFI deputies, with whom discussions have been at loggerheads.
Unsurprisingly, they were particularly tense with CNews, of which no less than eight representatives were around the table, its stars Pascal Praud, Laurence Ferrari and Sonia Mabrouk in the lead.
Abortion was presented on Sunday as the “leading cause of death in the world”, which sparked an outcry and provoked an apology from the channel. It is “an unforgivable error” and an internal investigation is underway, underlined the general director of CNews, Serge Nedjar.
Beyond that, hasn’t the news channel become an opinion channel? Its officials took shelter behind a recent decision of the Council of State to respond in the negative.
– Interference –
Journalist Pascal Praud before his hearing before the parliamentary commission of inquiry into TNT frequencies on February 29, 2024 (AFP/Dimitar DILKOFF)
Following an appeal by Reporters Without Borders, the Council of State asked Arcom, the media regulator, in mid-February to strengthen its control of CNews, and beyond all television and radio stations.
“The precisely targeted media is CNews,” asserted Pascal Praud. “We are not fools,” said Laurence Ferrari.
Created in 2017 from the ashes of iTélé and second on the podium of news channels, CNews intends to continue to stand out through the “decryption” of the news, which translates, according to its managers, into numerous hours in plateau and not on the ground.
On pluralism, “if the rules change, we will comply with them” but “I would be curious to see France, which would undoubtedly be the only democracy in the world, to start listing journalists and editorialists” according to their political color, said Maxime Saada, CEO of Canal+.
Journalist Sonia Mabrouk before her hearing by the parliamentary commission of inquiry into TNT frequencies on February 29, 2024 (AFP/Dimitar DILKOFF)
Pro-Russian or pro-Israel tropism, censorship of subjects that could put Vincent Bolloré in difficulty: these hypotheses raised even by the presidential majority have been swept away. And Mr. Nedjar observes: “CNews is criticized for many things.”
The channel’s managers took the opportunity to invite MPs to come on its channel, which is often boycotted on the left.
Another hot topic is the supposed interventionism of Mr. Bolloré. “I have never had any direct or indirect intervention from Vincent Bolloré on the programs,” maintained Mr. Saada.
Mr. Nedjar “never suffered any pressure” from him either. But he has her on the phone “practically daily or every other day to talk about the audiences”, in good spirits.
The billionaire, who will be heard on March 13 by the commission of inquiry, is regularly accused of interference in the media he controls.
– Hanouna, “a risk” –
Thursday’s hearing came the day after Arcom launched the process of renewing DTT frequencies in 2025.
“Our ambition is to apply for all of our pay and free channels” (C8, CNews, CStar, Canal+, Canal+ Sport, Canal+ Cinéma and Planète+), unsurprisingly declared Maxime Saada.
“We are aware of the responsibility that falls on us to have public frequencies,” he assured.
And to plead: “We have always strived to respect our obligations on all of our channels” and “have accepted the rare sanctions when this was not the case”.
The rapporteur, the rebellious Aurélien Saintoul, asks what is happening, then, when the controversial host Cyril Hanouna causes a record fine of 3.5 million euros for C8.
“Its nature, its spontaneity” can “give rise, when we are live, to excesses,” recognized Mr. Saada. “We are taking a risk, which we fully assume,” he added, questioning the “impartiality” of the commission of inquiry.
The channels of his group “contribute to media pluralism and have demonstrated their interest to the public”, affirmed the manager, not daring to imagine a non-renewal of their authorizations.
“We are committed to all our obligations as good students,” added his number 2 Gérald-Brice Viret.
© 2024 AFP
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