The sequence deserves to be revisited. Arcom, the audiovisual regulatory body (we spare you the detail of this barbaric acronym, which one would think came straight out of the universe of Darth Vader), took the bit to the teeth. Finally. And even – would you believe it? – banged his fist on the table. Shaking off her inertia and her too patient wisdom, she imposed a record fine of 3.5 million euros on C8 last week to sanction the reprehensible excesses of her star host Cyril Hanouna, customary to these states of affairs. Accompanied by a formal notice for breach of its obligations of honesty and independence of information.
This salvo, in reality, is not the first… Suffice to say that this call to the law, ringing and stumbling, acts like rainwater on the wings of a duck. Moreover, the same evening, the actor put a coin back in his bastringue. Loose change compared to his usual swerves.
But the case thickens. The Minister of Culture and Communication, Rima Abdul-Malak, on France Inter, posed a much more serious threat. Withdraw from the Bolloré group the frequencies and concession for its channel for non-compliance with these solemn and contractual commitments. The government brandishes the lethal weapon. Getting out of the automatic renewal, funny habit by the way, practiced since the privatization of TF1, for “verify that obligations have been fulfilled”.
The reaction was quick. Rain of outraged press releases from the Bolloré group, even raising, by implication, the specter of a social breakdown. Quite a funny response when you know the expeditious practices of the house, little focused on the concern for maintaining employment.
The shots come from everywhere. In a shocking interview with Mondeon the occasion of the release of his book story of an ogreat Gallimard (and not, as usual, at Stock and Fayard, swallowed up by the magnate’s sprawling editorial group), Erik Orsenna dropped: “Vincent Bolloré is dangerous for democracy. »
In response, Vivendi, one of the subsidiaries, made a grandiloquent statement. Wrapped in great principles, every word is worth its weight. “Our only role, as a media group, is to promote healthy debate that maintains democracy, to promote the exchange of ideas and cultures, openness and critical thinking. »
It is beautiful like the antique. Of the art of wanting to make us take bladders for lanterns.