Published
Video duration:
2 min
A look back at the journey of Jean-Pierre Elkabbach, who died on Tuesday October 3 at the age of 86. Journalist and press boss, he notably headed France Télévisions.
Jean-Pierre Elkabbach, great journalist and media boss. He was born in Oran, Algeria, where he took his first steps as a reporter. Arriving in Paris, he was hired at France Inter. Shelved in 1968 for having castigated the censors, he returned to television, then aged 31. The start of a meteoric rise: presentation of the TF1 newspaper, then Antenne 2. In 1981, with the election of François Mitterrand, he was ousted for his Giscardian ties. It’s crossing the desert.
Talent scout
He bounces back once again, on Europe 1. He then takes the reins of France 2 and France 3. “I want them both to be lively, combative, vigorous”, he then said. It boosts audiences and builds loyalty among hosts by letting them become producers of their shows, via contracts worth hundreds of millions of francs. It’s a scandal, and he resigns. Jean-Pierre Elkabbach was also a talent scout, and notably put Léa Salamé on the air.