Philippe Labro “shocked” by the shutdown of C8

It’s him, Philippe Labro who, more than twenty years ago, introduced Vincent Bolloré to the world of audiovisual and helped him get on TNT Direct 8. On this channel subsequently titled D8, then C8 from of 2016, the octogenarian still hosts “L’Essentiel” today, every Sunday evening. A show whose days are probably numbered. The channel saw its broadcasting authorization not renewed by Arcom last July. A decision which led to strong reactions in the political and media sphere.

The leading faces of C8 and CNews, both owned by the Vivendi group, had expressed their dissatisfaction. Philippe Labro, in an interview given to Parisian on the occasion of the release of his new novel, joins them. The journalist, who got his start at France Eveningbefore a long career in the written press, radio and television, says « shocked ».

“It’s not good”

« This is the first time in a democracy that a channel has been eliminated all at once and 300 people have been made unemployed. I was shocked. Hanouna had paid his fines, he was taxed to an extraordinary extent, he had perhaps crossed a red line, but was that worth suppressing a media outlet? It wasn’t worth it, it wasn’t right »estimates the former boss of RTL, who refers to the multiple sanctions from Arcom, costing millions, imposed on the troublemaker of “Touche pas à mon poste!”.

“We will be there at the start of the school year and motivated as never before”: the producers of “TPMP” react to Arcom’s shock decision

« I understand the idea, but isn’t it just a political gesture? I meet worried looks in the corridors. I have made my life, but no one knows what will happen »continues Philippe Labro. This position precedes C8’s hearing, scheduled for the month of November, before the Council of State to defend itself. If the channel was rejected, it would have to stop broadcasting at the end of February.