The boss of Free, already present in the media, would like to recover the sixth frequency and will defend his project on February 15 next against the members of ARCOM.
Xavier Niel’s appetite for the media does not seem satisfied, and the strong man of Free wants to make a new move.
With the “SIX” project, Xavier Niel wants to shake up M6
ARCOM formalized the candidacy of the billionaire, through his company NJJ Project 5523, to take over the sixth frequency of DTT, held today by M6.
The media regulatory authority is setting up a renewal process for channels number 1 and 6 this year, and of course, TF1 and M6 are candidates to resume their respective frequencies. If no one wanted to face the juggernaut TF1, which should logically recover the use of its frequency next May, Nicolas de Tavernost, chairman of the management board of M6, will have to face the founder of Free.
The “SIX” project, developed by Maxime Lombardini, one of Xavier Niel’s most faithful right-hand men, will be presented on February 15 at a public hearing which will take place at the ARCOM premises. The event will be broadcast live on its official website.
Xavier Niel wants to strengthen his influence in the media and present himself as a serious newcomer
Xavier Niel is no stranger to the media world. The businessman already owns the daily The world as well as several print media titles in France and overseas. This is not the first time that he has tried to seize M6. He had already applied for the takeover of the channel in May 2021, then in October 2022 when its owner, the German group Bertelsmann, wanted to get rid of him after the failure of his merger with TF1, before finally changing his mind.
The billionaire is also one of the shareholders of Mediawan, one of the largest audiovisual production centers, with very strong programs like It’s up to you on France 5 and channels such as RTL9 or AB1. He also co-produced hit films like North ferry. Recently, the band took ownership of Plan B, Brad Pitt’s production company.
Will Xavier Niel be at the head of the sixth frequency next May, when the members of ARCOM will have to give their verdict? Nothing is less sure. It would be tricky for the institution to change the owner of the frequency, which would lead to the loss of several hundred jobs. Xavier Niel will also have to build a television channel from scratch, with colossal investments for necessarily lower audiences in the first months.
This expression of interest would, however, have other objectives. Xavier Niel would indeed like to show ARCOM the seriousness of his proposals, with the objective of renewing other frequencies in 2025, including the C8 and CNews channels which are now in the crosshairs of ARCOM and the government to their very right-wing editorial line and the many slippages of Cyril Hanouna in his show Do not touch My TV.
M6 will nevertheless have to review its file and adopt new ambitions to counter this powerful competitor. The audiovisual group has also reportedly increased its commitments in terms of the production of heritage works, particularly in the documentary and animation sectors.
Source : The Parisian
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