“Arcom is neither the thought police nor a court of opinion”, defends the boss of the media regulator

2024-02-18 10:54:42

By Julien Da Sois

Publié here à 11:10, Mis à jour here à 11:54

“This decision does not only concern CNews, but all audiovisual media, whether public or private,” recalled the boss of Arcom. Sébastien SORIANO

“There will be no cataloging of journalists and guests,” Roch-Olivier Maistre insisted this Sunday, reacting for the first time to the decision of the Board of Directors. State summoning Arcom to tighten its control in matters of information pluralism.

After the historic decision of the Council of State this week, calling on Arcom to tighten its control in matters of information pluralism, the media regulator ©dias took its time to respond to the controversy caused by this real stone in the pond. Finally, this Sunday, its president Roch-Olivier Maistre returned to this decision of the highest administrative court in an interview with La Tribune Sunday .

Recalling that the Council of State now asks Arcom to appreciate the pluralism of information “taking into account all participants” d’un audiovisuel media, “notably the columnists, presenters and guests”Roch-Olivier Maistre wanted to dot the i’s: “We are not asked to count each of the speakers. There will be no cataloging of journalists and guests,” specifies the boss of the Regulatory Authority for audiovisual and digital communication, adding that he “This will be an overall assessment of all the programs broadcast”. “L’Arcom is neither the police of thought nor a court of opinion”he defends himself, emphasizing that “This decision does not only concern CNews, but all audiovisual media, whether public or private”.

Also read Why the Council of State is forcing Arcom to tighten editorial control of television channels like CNews

The campaign of Europeans concerned

How will Arcom go about controlling this extensive appreciation of pluralism? On this question, Roch-Olivier Maistre procrastinates. “Our services have begun a work of reflection and we will be required to specify the rules for its implementation, while respecting the editorial freedom of the channels”he says La Tribune Sunday . Under what timetable? If the boss of Arcom does not specify it, he nevertheless indicates that this decision of the Council of State will be taken into account “in the deliberation that we will adopt at the end of the month and which will set the applicable rules” for the European elections, which will take place on June 9 in France.

In addition, asked about the renewal of the frequencies of 15 TNT channels in 2025, for which a call for applications will be launched on February 28, Roch-Olivier Maistre believes that it is acts as a “unprecedented moment in the history of French television”. Among the criteria that will guide Arcom’s choices, its boss mentions “the criteria of pluralism of supply and public interest”. “We want there to be a wide diversity of actors and we want to offer viewers a very wide choice, with varied channel formats: news channels, general ©generalists, youth…he elaborates, also saying he hopes “that the candidates will put forward a “better proposition†, for example in terms of support for audiovisual and cinema production or concerning societal commitments”.

And the president of the independent authority warns C8 and CNews in veiled words. “Taking into account the shortcomings of an outgoing chain which would apply again is one of the parameters that the regulator can take into account. But he’s not the only one.”he points out, in reference to the multiple sanctions inflicted on the two channels of the group of billionaire Vincent Bolloré.

”
data-script=”
>