Europe 1 served with formal notice for lack of “honesty”

Europe 1, where the controversial host Cyril Hanouna has been presenting a program since June 17 on the occasion of the early legislative elections, has received a formal notice from Arcom for lack of “measure” and “honesty”, announced the audiovisual regulator on Thursday.

The star presenter of C8 hosts the show “On marche sur la tête” from 4:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m. on weekdays on the Lagardère group’s radio station, created especially to comment on the legislative campaign for two weeks.

Last week, two days after the launch of the programme, criticised by many observers who considered its line pro-extreme right and anti-New Popular Front, Arcom reminded Europe 1 of its obligations in terms of “pluralism” and “honesty” with regard to “electoral news”.

“Terms that are often pejorative and outrageous”

On Thursday, the regulator considered in particular that “the electoral news of La France insoumise and the New Popular Front”, a coalition of the main left-wing groups”, “was treated in a systematically critical and virulent manner, in often pejorative and outrageous.”

In addition, “the treatment of electoral news was largely unequivocal, most of the guests, a large majority of whom came from the same political movement, having made convergent remarks,” according to the Arcom decision. Between June 17 and 26, sixteen guests out of 29 “represented or supported the parties belonging to the ‘extreme right’ bloc,” we read in the Arcom decision.

“All of these elements reflect a lack of measure and honesty in the comments on electoral news.”

In the Arcom disciplinary scale, the formal notice precedes the sanctions and follows the warning.

The latest episode of “Touche pas à mon poste”, broadcast live on C8 two weeks ago, was also the subject of a referral to Arcom.

Cyril Hanouna played the role of go-between by calling the president of the RN, Jordan Bardella, so that the Reconquête! MEP Sarah Knafo would leave him a message and demand an agreement in view of the legislative elections.

Scheduled to last two weeks, his radio show is due to end on Friday at the same time as the campaign.

It illustrates the bridges between the different media controlled by Vincent Bolloré (C8, CNews, Europe 1, the JDD…), which share many figures. Two former CNews columnists, Pierre Gentillet and Guillaume Bigot, are RN candidates in the legislative elections.

ATS