Resignation and summons for dismissal at the top, investigation into the working climate, questions about press freedom at a time of African expansion: the signs of a deep crisis are accumulating within TV5 Monde.
The international generalist channel belongs to a group of French-speaking public media from France, Belgium, Switzerland, Quebec and Canada and even Monaco. Its headquarters are located in Paris and, in fact, France maintains control over this media.
The leaders are wavering. The news director of TV5 Monde, Françoise Joly, was summoned to Paris this Wednesday for “an interview prior to her dismissal”. The distinguished journalist has been in post since 2019.
The group’s CEO for 12 years, Yves Bigot, himself resigned at the end of May, five months before the end of his mandate which was not going to be renewed by the Minister of Culture in any case.
Volunteers for his succession had until Sunday to come forward, but the dissolution of the government and the call for general elections in France may have changed plans. If the National Rally forms the next cabinet, the anti-immigration conservative party would have the possibility of appointing the first manager of an audiovisual company to its hand while a major merger plan for public broadcasting remains in the works. ‘study. Paris would like to create a sort of French-style BBC.
African expansion
The plan to extend the shareholding of the TV5 Monde group to seven African countries adds friction. The 2025-2028 strategic plan envisages expanding the partnership to include seven sub-Saharan states: Benin, Gabon, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Cameroon, Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Congo-Brazzaville. The future of the international channel “goes through the incursion of French-speaking African countries”, summarized the CEO of the channel, Yves Bigot, in an interview with Agence France-Presse just after the announcement of its resignation.
The journalists, supported by Mme Joly, are concerned about the arrival of these partners who do not all respect the ethical standards of the sector. According to the Reporters Without Borders report on press freedom in the world, Côte d’Ivoire (53e) and Gabon (56e) rank about the same as the United States (55e), while the DRC (123e) and Cameroon (130e) are positioned in the least enviable part of the list of 180 countries. Canada arrives at 14e rank, Belgium at 16e and France at 21e.
Internal tensions
The crisis in global media also comes from inside the box. Events have inflamed tensions between information and management. Mme Joly was criticized by journalists for her type of management. An investigation into “occupational and particularly psychosocial risks” began in May. An assistant to Mme Joly has been off work for months.
In January, the channel apologized for using the wrong flags of Cameroon and Guinea Conakry during a presentation of an ongoing African Cup of Nations match. Mr. Bigot went to Cameroon to calm things down.
The journalistic treatment of the war in Gaza weighed on the editorial staff according to recent revelations from the daily The world. The management summoned journalist Mohamed Kaci in November 2023 and publicly disavowed him in a press release after an interview deemed lacking in balance by a spokesperson for the Israeli army.
The Société Radio-Canada and Télé-Québec are among the owners of the channel created with other public audiovisual companies from Switzerland, Belgium and France. The SRC holds 6.32% of the shares and TQ 4.21%. The media’s HQ is in Paris and, in fact, France controls the organization through France Télévisions, (46.42%) France Médias Monde (11.97%), Arte France (3.12%) ) and the INA (1.65%).
TV5 Québec Canada is part of the global network while maintaining its total independence. The two channels exchange content.