The removal of France Ô had made overseas news less visible on the screens. France 5 returns with a daily twenty-six minute program full of reports.
Karine Baste: “I believe that, more than ever, overseas populations need to exist and be heard.” Photo Nathalie Guyon/France Télévisions
By Etienne Labrunie
Published on January 13, 2025 at 1:38 p.m.
Lhe terrible cyclone Chido in Mayotte and before it the demonstrations against electoral reform in New Caledonia then against the high cost of living in Martinique brought the overseas territories back to the headlines in 2024. A catastrophe and riots which, beyond the tragedies and a major political subject, still raise the question of media visibility at the national level of this other part of France, so close and so far away. On this occasion, many viewers discovered the extent of the economic and social crisis hitting Mayotte, the hundred and first French department. France Télévisions, with its local network La Première, mobilized to cover this human drama.
But is this mobilization only circumstantial? Four and a half years after the disappearance of France Ô from channel 19 of TNT, what place do Overseas occupy in the public company's grid? “For a good ten years, their news has found a real place on the antennas of France Télévisions”, answers journalist Karine Baste. The former joker of Anne-Sophie Lapix's 8 p.m. show, who started on the Martinique La Première channel in 2011, even talks about a “considerable development”. She, who co-hosted with Nagui a large evening of support and solidarity for the reconstruction and aid to the populations of Mayotte, agreed to strengthen this presence on the air.
A decision before the cyclone on Mayotte
From January 13, she will present on France 5, from Monday to Friday at 4:55 p.m., It's not that far, an information magazine dedicated to Overseas Territories. Behind its ambiguous title, the twenty-six minute program will notably offer two long reports. “Behind the raw information, a window was missing to go further and look behind the curtain,” explains its host. This new meeting was announced before the tragedy which affected Mayotte. But events in Martinique pushed the management of France Télévisions to impose it in high season, in a slot previously reserved for documentaries. “This reinforced the need to talk even more about these territories, to give more depth to our coverage,” underlines Sylvie Gengoul, director of the group's overseas division.
This program also and above all meets the specifications set by the “pact for the visibility of Overseas Territories” signed in 2021 by the State and all public broadcasting media. The agreement, concluded in order to calm protests linked to the suppression of France Ô, sets out a series of commitments to increase the visibility of these territories in terms of creation, by improving the distribution of content or by promoting the presence of overseas in the broadcasts and their design. It is reassessed every year.
Also read:
On CNews, Mayotte victim of the cyclone but especially of its immigrants
« It's not that far is a new milestone,” believes Sylvie Gengoul. But will this new magazine broadcast at the end of the afternoon have an audience target? “Above all, we want to create a relationship that brings everyone from overseas closer together,” Florent Dumont, deputy director of antennas and programs. “We need to measure the audience across all our channels, and the objective has been largely achieved,” responds Sylvie Gengoul. As a reminder, in 2020, France Ô was disconnected due to lack of audience after seven years of presence on TNT. The news of recent months may have changed the issue. Karine Baste seems convinced of this: “I believe that, more than ever, overseas populations need to exist and be heard. »
It's not that far, Monday to Friday at 4:55 p.m. on France 5.
