TV5Monde boss: Le Pen election a threat to French public service media

The chief executive of French public broadcaster TV5Monde has warned that the potential election of Marie Le Pen could prompt the demise of French public service media, and that press, radio and TV could end up in the control of “three or four billionaires”. 

Yves Bigot, who has run the French-language entertainment PSB for just under a decade, contrasted that prospect with centrist Emmanuel Macron being re-elected.

In that instance, he said he would have “absolutely no worry” that the French government will support his organisation and the wider public service media.  

“We work with them [the government] all the time. We speak to them in the time. They leave us total editorial independence, just as it should be. If he’s not re-elected, well, I’ll go back to Saint-Tropez where my family is,” he joked. 

Bigot said TV5Monde’s multinational ownership (which includes France Télévisions, Arte in France, France Médias Monde, Switzerland’s TSR, RTBF in Belgium and Canada’s CBC and Télé-Québec) is a strong alternative to media owned by wealthy individuals. 

“The billionaires in France will do whatever they want to do [when it comes to] programming, and [shaping] public opinion. And let’s just say those billionaires lean to the right,” he said.  

“It’s basically down to political will. Currently, our owners want to preserve a TV company encompassing those values and creativity, which is of interest to them.

”The alternative is leave it to the billionaires to do whatever they do. They do it well for themselves, do they do it good for the people? That’s another story.” 

Bigot said he was “amazed” by the situation that is unfolding in the UK, following the BBC’s licence fee freeze and the government’s desire to privatise of Channel 4.  

“The BBC is such a huge thing and has such a strong, strong relationship with the British people, but when the human mind gets bigger because of new ideas, whatever they are, it doesn’t return to its normal size,” he said. “So, the idea of [scrapping the licence fee] will stay in the air. If it’s not this time, it could be the next time.”  

TV5 Monde expansion 

Bigot was speaking to Broadcast around the 10th anniversary of kids channel TiVi5Monde, which has played a role in the group’s push for international growth and was partly set up to tap into viewers in the US market. It has since launched in Africa in 2016. 

TV5Monde more generally has moved into North African countries (Morocco, Algeria and Tunisia) where traditionally it has been available in sub-Saharan Africa. The group has upped its investment in kids programming and co-productions in the continent to ensure that “kids that are watching us today will know who we are” in the future.  

Patrice Courtaban, who was recently made executive vice-president of global growth and business development of TV5Monde and chief exec of its US channel operations, added that US audiences had particular interest in the broadcaster’s lifestyle programming, while Canadian scripted series were popular with Indian audiences. 

“In a landscape where there’s so much content out there, having this meaningful brand, I feel, is what’s really helping us grow internationally,” Courtaban said.