The former manager of France Bleu arrives at a key moment in the life of the channel which will benefit from the change in numbering on TNT from June 6.
The Senate has decided. Jean-Emmanuel Casalta is preparing to take over the presidency of the parliamentary channel Public Sénate. The former manager of France Bleu succeeds Christopher Baldelli, who left to manage T18, Daniel Kretinsky’s new channel. The position has been vacant since his departure at the end of November. The mandate of the new CEO takes effect immediately, starting this Friday, January 24, for a period of three years.
Jean-Emmanuel Casalta was preferred to Olivier Galzi, former figure of the France 2 news. The two candidates were interviewed on January 13 by the Senate Office. The latter made his decision on Thursday morning, by secret ballot, after having heard the two contenders again. According to several sources, the vote leaned largely in favor of Jean-Emmanuel Casalta. Olivier Galzi, after a great oral examination deemed successful, nevertheless started as the favorite. « Some senators were sensitive to his candidacy, confides a source in the Senate. The “local” side of Jean-Emmanuel Casalta, who directed France Bleu, undoubtedly counted. And then, influences, phone calls can also weigh in the balance… »
Address book
Aged 54, Jean-Emmanuel Casalta has in any case defied the predictions. This appointment, « This is an interesting result for the Senate. Jean-Emmanuel Casalta will be able to make his address book available to Public Senate »slips an observer into the political sphere. A graduate of the Marseille Business School and the University of Paris-Dauphine, the new CEO began his career at France Télécom Multimedia (Orange today) in 1996 as a management controller. Two years later, he landed in the administrative and financial management of Régions (a subsidiary of France 3, France Télécom Multimedia and Crédit local de France), before returning to the INA (National Audiovisual Institute) between 2000 and 2007. He directs training, teaching and professional training there. Having worked for the NPA Conseil firm, he was then appointed director of antennas and programs for France 3 Corse ViaStella in 2011, and became director of strategy and development for France Médias Monde in 2015. In September 2018, Jean-Emmanuel Casalta took over reins of France Bleu, the local radio station of Radio France. « His visit didn’t go very well »quips a former collaborator. Audiences at half mast, motion of no confidence… he will leave the radio in April 2023, replaced by journalist Céline Pigalle, the former editorial director of BFMTV.
During his hearing before the Senate selection committee, chaired by the senator of Seine-et-Marne, Anne Chain-Larche (LR), Jean-Emmanuel Casalta indicated that he wanted « grow Public Senate to serve citizens, territories and the Republic ». According to him, this involves greater emphasis on proximity to the territories. With the ambition of recreating the link between « local democracy and national democracy ». Jean-Emmanuel Casalta intends to continue the policy of partnerships that already exist with local players, starting with the regional daily press. « Proximity is not a concept, it is a practice »he insisted.
-Double digital subscribers
The new manager also placed emphasis on the continuation of the digital transformation of the group and put forward the objective, in particular, of doubling the number of subscribers – numbering 1 million at this stage – to the various accounts of the channel on social networks. The new CEO also wants to promote interactivity with the French via a « citizen consultation policy ». And if it does not prohibit the use of AI, it does however exclude its use for anything relating to editorial work.
Jean-Emmanuel Casalta arrives as CEO at a key moment in the life of Public Senate. The channel, like its counterpart LCP, directed by Emmanuel Kessler and with whom Public Sénat shares the same frequency, is preparing to change numbering on the remote control. Arcom, the media regulator, took the decision, after having ousted C8 and NRJ12 from digital terrestrial television, to reallocate number 8 to the two parliamentary channels. A big leap forward for the two antennas, housed up to present on channel 13.
Public Senate, which has 70 employees and a budget of more than 18 million euros, will gain visibility. Last season, driven by parliamentary news (immigration law, European elections, dissolution, etc.), the channel had already aroused more interest. According to its former CEO, Christopher Baldelli, Public Senate reaches an average of 25 million French people each month. It is up to the new leader to do even better.
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