“A formal notice from Arcom means: watch out, we’re listening to you, we’re not happy! Then, the next step is fines, which I know well… But since it’s my last one today, the people at Arcom will be able to go on holiday in peace,” he joked, before criticising a “double standard”, targeting “the left-wing humour and editorials on France Inter”, and “Arcom’s relentless attack on him”, while his columnists unanimously lambasted the audiovisual regulatory authority, calling it a “thought cop”.
So much for the defense of Cyril Hanouna the day after the formal notice sent on June 27 by Arcom to Europe 1. Yet another call for order for the star host of the Bolloré empire.
1. What does the Arcom decision say?
Particularly detailed, this formal notice criticizes the political program for a “lack of moderation and honesty in the comments on electoral news”. The observations spread over nearly four pages concern the broadcasts from June 17 to 26.
Arcom reports a litany of statements made by columnists or by the host himself, “without being sufficiently contradicted”. For example: “The Popular Front, in any case, they want chaos”, “there will be no limit to Islamo-leftism, it will go to the limits of sharia”, “these are people who have destruction at heart” (regarding La France Insoumise and the Nouveau Front Populaire), “the problem with the Popular Front and especially La France Insoumise is that they often do not accept their defeat”, “the right wing will not call for riots but the left wing will call for riots if they lose, that’s for sure”, “for 5 years, François Hollande, he did nothing, except go get croissants and ride around on his scooter”, these last three extracts being quotes from Cyril Hanouna.
Arcom also emphasizes that during these broadcasts, “the electoral news of La France Insoumise and the New Popular Front […] has been treated in a systematically critical and virulent manner, often in pejorative and outrageous terms.
Finally, the formal notice points to a clear political imbalance in the profile of the guests. From June 17 to 26, “16 represented or supported the bloc considered to be far-right, against 7 for the presidential majority, and only 2 for the New Popular Front.” On this last point, the host assures that left-wing leaders no longer respond to his invitations.
2. What is a formal notice?
Arcom acts within a legal framework very well defined by the law, which, of a liberal nature, favors prevention, and makes sanctions (fines, suspensions of broadcasting, etc.) the last resort. At the risk of fueling a trial into the weakness or impotence of Arcom, as we heard this winter from left-wing elected officials during the commission of inquiry into TNT frequencies.
Its interventions must be graduated. First a reminder letter, then a warning letter. The formal notice is “level 3”: a final warning. The law requires that any sanction from Arcom be preceded by this formal notice.
3. A reminder too late?
Any sanction must also result from a contradictory instruction. This explains why the procedures are long, often considered far too long in the age of digital acceleration and the immediacy of continuous information.
In this case, for this formal notice, Arcom acted rather quickly, ten days after the start of the broadcast, especially since a first letter had been sent to Europe 1 on June 19 to remind the station that it must “ensure a plurality of points of view in debate programs”. But it’s already too late: the show ends this Friday, June 28.
4. What impact ultimately?
This is the first time that Europe 1 has been formally notified. On the other hand, Cyril Hanouna has been subject to dozens of sanctions for his show “TPMP” on C8. Some of them very high: for example, a record fine of 3.5 million euros for insults hurled at LFI MP Louis Boyard.
