Small delay in ignition. Phase 2 of the rapprochement between France 3 regions and the branches of France Bleu, under the common brand “Ici”, will not take place this Monday, November 4, as planned. But one day later.
The reason? The inter-union CFDT, CGT, FO, SNJ, SUD is calling, that day, for a strike by employees of the France 3 network, including those of France 3 Côte d'Azur and France 3 Provence-Alpes. With potentially disrupted logs during the day.
“We want management to abandon this project”says Laurence Collet, in-house journalist for 23 years and CFDT union delegate.
Among his fears, a loss of bearings for viewers. “Some people took 10 years to integrate the change from FR3 to France 3”, recalls this face of France 3 Côte d'Azur, which says it is already undergoing the elimination of the national editorial staff of the channel by moving from one local subject to another on the American elections.
“Why change brands, when it is not a problem of unpopularity or serious business? There, we risk losing viewers and not finding others. We could just strengthen our collaboration with France Bleu, which we have been doing for a long time.”
A lack of clarity?
Laurence Collet also fears a structural impact, particularly with potential changes to statuses and contracts in the future.
“These changes raise a lot of questions to which we are not given enough answersinsists the public service journalist, whose budget should be cut by 45 million euros by the Barnier government. This all lacks clarity. Not to mention digital. You would have to be blind not to see a merger with France Bleu.”
“However, we have been giving explanations for a while”we assure in high places. In fact, the morning news and the midday and evening newspapers have already been called “Here” for a year.
In addition to covering local events, the management of France Télévisions now wants every morning, the regional branches of France 3 to take on the colors and design of the new brand from 6:30 a.m., with “Ici matin” (the broadcast of the morning shows of radio filmed by France Bleu) until the end of “Météo à la carte”, around 2:30 p.m.
Before returning for the “Here evening” info slot, from 7 to 8 p.m. “France 3 is not going to disappear, manages the public network. It’s about adding our strengths, not subtracting them.”
