Renaissance MP Quentin Bataillon imagines the Franceinfo TV channel “replace” France 24

According to MP Renaissance, the 24-hour news channel “would have its rightful place internationally today”.

Are France 24’s days numbered? Guest of franceinfo Monday May 13, Renaissance deputy Quentin Bataillon wishes “that franceinfo [TV, canal 27] can be pushed to the international level to possibly replace France 24”. “I think that Franceinfo, television and radio, must be strengthened, and I think that this channel would have its rightful place internationally today”explains the elected official who plays a leading role in the reform of public broadcasting.

“I think that franceinfo, on the television side, still has a lot of things to do. This reform will bring significant synergies, in particular to strengthen franceinfo. I also carry the fact that franceinfo [TV] can join channel 14 of TNT, so that it can be reinforced”, he adds. The continuous news channel would take the place of France 4 and would be placed ahead of its competitors, first and foremost BFMTV.

The France 24 journalists’ society reacted strongly to the MP’s comments. “We regret that certain political leaders seem to completely ignore the work of France 24, the work of an international channel which broadcasts in four languages, all over the world, with completely different audiences”explains its president, Shirli Sitbon, to France Culture on Monday. “It is a channel which, for almost twenty years, has shown its credibility. It has a network of correspondents everywhere. This is its strength, its independence too. Our listeners [téléspectateurs] are completely different from those of franceinfo. It’s absurd to think that we can replace that with a national chain, which will develop. For us, it’s incomprehensible.”she said again.

“Prefigure the merger in 2026”

The objective of the public broadcasting reform project debated on May 23 and 24 in the Assembly “is initially the holding company”, confirms Quentin Bataillon. A structure to oversee its different entities “which foreshadows the merger in 2026” of France Télévisions, Radio France, Ina and France Médias Monde, namely RFI and France 24. “France Médias Monde has an extremely important role. We see it all the more today, given the geopolitical context, the voice of France in the world has its place and is important”continues the man who was rapporteur for the information mission on the future of public broadcasting.

“Both, of course, to inform all French people who live around the world and all the people who are interested in this information, and also, I think we must assume, soft power [de l’influence à l’international]. It is important that the voice of France has its full place.” he says.