Four months of commission of inquiry into the allocation of TNT frequencies, forty-four hearings, ideologically oriented or imprecise questions, controversies… and ten minutes which will remain as the most ironic of the entire sequence. It was approaching 5 p.m., Thursday March 28, when, after two hours of discussions with five former ministers of culture, MP Constance Le Grip (Renaissance, Hauts-de-Seine) wanted to know the opinion of Rima Abdul Malak (2022-2024) on the hypothesis of common governance for public audiovisual companies. Announced since 2017, having fallen into the limbo of the crisis linked to Covid-19, the project to unite the forces of Radio France and France Télévisions has, in fact, resurfaced with Rachida Dati.
“I came to the conclusion that this holding prior to a merger (or not) was not essential, explained Rima Abdul Malak, repeating a conviction from which she has never deviated. That connections were possible from below (…)by setting fairly precise objectives in the objectives and means contracts [les feuilles de route des entreprises de l’audiovisuel public] and a packaged envelope. » Not exactly the response hoped for by the president of the commission, Quentin Bataillon (Renaissance, Loire), who, on Sunday March 24, co-signed with Senator Laurent Lafon (UDI, Val-de-Marne), in La Tribune Sunday, a text to call for the creation of a “common structure, which could be called France Médias”.
Was Roselyne Bachelot (2020-2022) going to offer him the support he expected? “The cost of management savings brought about by holding companies has been a long time coming! laughed, a blue duster on the lapel of her jacket, Roselyne Bachelot (…) We’re going to buy a great building, which we’re going to populate with a president who will have a company car (…). And we’ll set it all ablaze! »
“A placebo”
Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres, minister of culture between 2004 and 2007, continued: “The war is in Europe, a principal is forced to leave his position, we are in a period of essential gravity. (…) Let’s get back to the essential and the urgency, it is the fire in hearts and minds, it is not in the structural debates. »
The final blow came from Jacques Toubon, 82 years old (1993-1995): “My colleagues said exactly what needed to be said. (…) Or it means (…) that we prefer to bring to all these sometimes difficult and painful questions a placebo which would be called fusion. »
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