“It’s important to diversify”, according to the group’s boss Alain Weill

The founder of BFMTV, now owner of the L’Express group, is a candidate for a frequency on digital terrestrial television. 15 channels are brought back into play, including those of C8 and CNews. The media regulator will deliver its verdict in mid-summer.

Businessman Alain Weill, owner since 2019 of the L’Express group, has decided to apply to the Audiovisual and Digital Communication Regulatory Authority (Arcom) to obtain a frequency on digital terrestrial television (DTT) in 2025 for its project, L’Express TV.

The businessman is not a novice in the sector since he is the creator of BFM TV, RMC etc., which he sold three years ago now. He has never hidden his ambition to have, again, a TV channel since he became the owner of The Express as he explains the reasons: “I decided to work on the transformation and ensuring the sustainability of ‘L’Express’ which is a magnificent newspaper, created more than 70 years ago”.

In a context of transformation of the press, he believes that it is important to diversify, to also move towards sound, towards image, towards digital: “Knowing the world of TV well, I considered that it was a determining element in making the ‘L’Express’ brand a very good project to ensure it has a promising life to move towards a channel that complements it as well as its digital activities. What could a channel like L’Express TV bring? “We need to create a television channel that is consistent with the experience, the DNA of ‘L’Express’ and which serves the interest of a wide audience,” explains Alain Weill.

L’Express TV will therefore be a channel specializing in contemporary history and sciences because, according to it, these are, “two important themes popular with the public and which do not exist on TNT, in any case treated on a continuous basis”. The channel will also offer major prime time, infotainment, but not on program models like “Quotidien” or “C à vous”. “It will have to be completely different. It will have to innovate. It won’t be another talk show, it’s more pluralism. There is a need today in the world of television to revisit the subject of pluralism. ”

15 channels are coming to an end and Alain Weill sees this as a real opportunity for Arcom to see if there is not an interest in recreating a dynamic. It has been 20 years since TNT was launched and, according to the boss of the L’Express group, L’Express TV will be a different channel, particularly in a world where fake news, bad information, circulates particularly among young people.

“We look at all subjects from a scientific angle, even those which might seem trivial, to check if what we are saying is correct, if the experts who intervene have credibility.”

Alain Weill, owner of the L’Express group

at franceinfo

To do this, L’Express TV will therefore be available linearly, but also in the form of a platform, the reality being that television today is no longer consumed as in the past. It is also expected that television programs on science will become short programs broadcast on social networks, such as TikTok, which “will allow the 30% of young people who are on TikTok and who think that the earth is flat to perhaps change their opinion”, hopes Alain Weill.

Television is in turn undergoing a transformation linked to the digital revolution. Linear television shows a certain lack of public interest. But “TNT still remains an extremely powerful media”, assures Alain Weill. “You must always be number one in the sector you choose”asserts the businessman. “With contemporary history and science, we have the ambition to offer the best offer tomorrow.”