France Bleu will disappear to become Ici and we know when the transformation will take place

MEDIA – Goodbye France Bleu, hello Here. We know when the network of 44 public local branches of Radio France will change its name as part of a merger initiated a long time ago with France 3 television. This is planned for January 6, its managers announced this Wednesday, November 27.

On France 3, the logo « Ici » has already been present on screen since November 5, only during regional programs. The Ici brand “is firstly intended to bring together our forces under the same label (and under) a common flag”indicated Céline Pigalle, director of France Bleu, during a press conference at the Maison de la radio in Paris.

The president of France Télévisions, Delphine Ernotte Cunci, and her counterpart at Radio France, Sibyle Veil, announced in October 2023 the eventual union of France 3 and France Bleu under the brand « Ici »in order to strengthen cooperation illustrated by the joint mornings launched in 2019.

Reflection on other future mergers

This project aroused union opposition in both companies, its opponents seeing it as the beginnings of a pure and simple merger. Asked about other future editorial mergers between TV and radio, Céline Pigalle replied: “We can think about continuing in this logic” et “we are going to work on other shared elements”.

These changes come at a time when the status of public broadcasting is the subject of political discussions.

Put on hold by the dissolution, the project to create a holding company bringing together its different branches (France Télévisions, Radio France, France Médias Monde and Ina) will return to the National Assembly on December 17.

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