I “wish to continue to defend our public service media by your side, with force and passion, at the service of the freedom of our democratic space, our cultural sovereignty and the reconciliation of the French company,” she said in a message to all the group’s employees, consulted by AFP. “This is why I will address today (Thursday) at Arcom (the audiovisual regulator) my candidacy for the presidency of France Télévisions,” added the 58 -year -old boss. Two other contenders are already known: the producer and ex-deputy Frédérique Dumas, as well as the journalist of France TV and union delegate SNJ Serge Cimino. The name of Thierry Thuillier, deputy director general of the TF1 group, also circulated but the latter declared to the newspaper Le Figaro having “taken a look at this opportunity” then “closed the file”. The candidates have until Friday to come out with the audiovisual regulator who will have to decide between them for a five -year mandate starting on August 22.
A risk of the term of the mandate
But the situation could be upset if a holding company common to all the public audiovisual was born. The project is supported by the Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, but criticized by the left. Under the authority of a president, the holding company, France Médias, would oversee France Télévisions, Radio France and the INA (National Audiovisual Institute). The fate of France Médias Monde is under discussion. However, examining the text in the National Assembly, scheduled for last week, was postponed Sine Die due to a very busy parliamentary program. As it stands, the bill stipulates that the future CEO of the holding company will chair the boards of directors of its subsidiaries. The next CEO of France Television could thus see its mandate being shortened. But the law can evolve until its final adoption. In addition, taking into account her experience at the helm of the France Télévisions liner, Delphine Ernotte Cunci is likely to apply later for the management of the holding company. “Our societies are currently going through unprecedented ruptures. (…) because there are many uncertainties, for our audiences as for ourselves, I have more than ever the conviction that our public media have an absolutely decisive role to play,” she insisted in her message to the group’s employees on Thursday.
Former owner of Orange France, she was the first woman named at the head of the audiovisual group, in 2015. She notably launched the news channel Franceinfo and several platforms (Okoo, Lumni, France.TV …). With TF1 and M6 in particular, in 2024 it promoted the structuring of an audiovisual sector to deal with competition from American platforms. In order to choose the next president, the Arcom, an independent authority, said that it would take into account in particular the envisaged policies of “financial sustainability” of France Télévisions, in a constrained budgetary context. With some 8,800 employees (full-time equivalent) and benefiting from state funding up to 2.5 billion euros for 2025, France TV includes channels France 2, France 3 and its 24 regional branches, France 4, France 5, Franceinfo and the Overseas Network the first.
