TV programs: two magazines at war

Owned by Vincent Bolloré, the press company Prisma Media is accused of unfair practices by its competitor RL Mags, based in the United Kingdom and owned by Frédéric Truskolaski (known for his legal setbacks). Off Investigation tells you about this fight between two press publishers in the midst of conquering a particularly lucrative market: that of television programs aimed at French seniors.

Friday December 13, Paris commercial court. Three lawyers in robes prepare to respectively defend their clients, RL Mags and Prisma Media, two magazine publishers. The first, belonging to Frédéric Truskolaski, accuses the second, from the Vivendi group (Bolloré), of unfair competition for having launched last November 30 TV Programs 15 daysa news magazine of television programs similar to its own title TV 15 days, created in 2019.

For the company RL Mags, the objective is to protect itself from a competitor it considers unfair and which could eat into its market share. Its title TV 15 days presents itself as a more readable, less expensive program guide and above all intended for an older audience. For RL Mags lawyers, the launch of TV Programs 15 days is already being felt on the sales of its magazine, which are said to have fallen by 25% during the week of the launch of the Prisma fortnightly. Nothing more than a strange correlation, according to Prisma's lawyer, who points out that the publication of TV Programs 15 days is deferred by one week compared to that of TV 15 days.

White beanie and white beanie

Under the watchful eyes of the session chairs, each party highlights what characterizes its magazine compared to its competitor, in a stream of more or less identical TV schedules. The innovative name of TV 15 days claimed by RL Mags? An inspiration from TV 7 days signed Prisma, according to the Bolloré group. The sale at 40 cents cheaper TV Programs 15 days of Prisma? A bait for customers, who will see the same content for less, according to RL Mags.

On one side or the other, greedy revenues from TV schedules are being snatched away for the benefit of two men who are at least equally greedy: Prisma Media belongs to Vivendi, Vincent Bolloré's group, since its takeover in 2021, and RL Media is under the aegis of multi-owner of press magazines Frédéric Truskolaski, known for his numerous legal setbacks (L'informé, January 2024).

Between the two press titles, everyone seems to be mixing brushes. On December 5, Europe 1 promoted the new magazine of its sister company: “ You all know the 5-day TV, well here is the 15-day TV! It’s not the same group that publishes it but it’s almost the same title”relates the columnist, thus pronouncing the name of the competing magazine by mistake. This has not escaped RL Mags, who whispers: “ Plus, we have the same distributor…”.

Following this episode during which the name of its own magazine was used to advertise its rival, Truskolaski's company reportedly requested a right of reply from the editorial staff of Europe 1. According to our information, the radio would have initially accepted, before finally backpedaling. Predictable decision within the Bolloré empire? Remember that in 2021 Vivendi became the main shareholder of Europe 1. Ultimately, the radio will correct its error the next day on the air. Asked about this sequence of a few seconds deemed insufficient for RL Mags, Prisma media did not wish to provide any comment.

The TV program magazine, a very profitable market

The television program magazine market is popular for good reason: the business works well, even very well. On the one hand, television magazines represent a large part of RL Mags' turnover which, according to its manager, would have increased from 12 to 16 million euros between 2021 and 2023. For Vincent Bolloré's group, the Of interest is also the influence of these faithful family guides, who reach both rural and urban households, on potential consumers. A significant advertising strike force for Vivendi's other activities, such as Canal+, Havas, and Gameloft.

Despite the continued decline in print sales, television magazines maintain a very loyal audience. TV guides are legion (Télé 7 Jours, Télé Z, Télé 2 Semaines, Télé Star, Télé Loisirs…) and are the most distributed magazines in France. At the top of the ranking, I have funa weekly dedicated to television and on-demand service platforms launched by West Franceand distributed more than 3 million copies. Follows TV 7 daysdistributed more than 700,000 copies per week in 2023, but also TV Z (600,000 copies), and TV Magazine (500,000 copies) (ACPM). Figures prized by the bosses of these magazines, on which the advertisers on whom the press titles depend are based.

CMPA Star Wars

Published by the Alliance for Press and Media Figures (ACPM), the sector's sales results allow press groups to hold out the carrot to advertisers. For more than 30 years, the association has rewarded press titles, sites and media applications whose distribution results are the most encouraging from one year to the next. The ACPM “Stars” are prized, as the economic model of the press is dependent on advertising revenue. Until being the subject of another dispute, again from RL Mags, against Prisma.

In 2024, for the first time since the launch of its two press titles, TV 15 dayss et TV programs 2 weeksnesRL Mags is eligible for CMPA Stars. A reward that the company believes it deserves, given the growth in its sales. Until the band had the spotlight stolen by the magazine Dr. Good !published by…Prisma Media.

While TV 15 days hopes to appear in the category “ all themes », renewed over the years, this disappears from the new regulations for the year 2024, reviewed each year. Only ” art of living-cooking », « art of living-others » et « female », last category in which appears Dr. Good ! For RL Mags, it is difficult to believe in chance in the face of a change of category which occurs in the year in which their titles can access an award. This pushes the company to embark on another legal battle against Prisma and the CMPA, in search of possible collusion between the two entities. According to our information, the premises of Prisma, the ACPM and Publicis were searched in September 2024.

Between parody and unfair competition

For Frédéric Truskolaski, legal procedures are not new. Since its first newspaper in 1996, The High Schoolthe businessman multiplies the launches of celebrity and TV magazines, and the lawsuits accompanying them. Prisma's lawyer is not the only one to consider Frédéric Truskolaski ” parasite of press groups » : no less than 16 legal proceedings have been launched against its various publishing companies since 2009, including six for counterfeiting and four for “unfair and parasitic competition” (The informedJanuary 2024).

This paper magnate multiplies his provocations, parodying already existing magazine titles, copying graphic models or color choices. In the kiosks one after the other Poublic, Clooser, Trance Sunday or even Oopsmuch to the chagrin of the titles from which they draw inspiration.

In 2019, Prisma Media and RL Mags are already coming face to face. Prisma is suing RL Mags for several of its magazines, including They are, TV programs 2 weeks, Current senior health et Current senior womenwhose titles recall Here is, Current Women or TV 2 weekswhich Prisma has. The company belonging to Vivendi only wins its case for “ They are ”, judged to be an infringement of Here is.

Rebelote in 2022: a dispute between RL Mags and Prisma for their respective titles TV Programs 2 weeks et TV 2 weeks. This time, it's RL Mags who wins the game: Prisma must withdraw TV 2 weeks. A big loss for the group, which appealed the decision.

Gang of sharks, journalists as bait

In courtroom number 3 of the Paris Commercial Court, the legal representative of Prisma Media defends his piece of fat and accuses RL Mags: in any case, “ there aren't even any real journalists » chez TV 15 days, he blurted out during his pleading. For the record, Rue89 already singled out Frédéric Truskolaski in 2013 for false testimonies, completely invented subjects and responses from imaginary doctors in several of his celebrity magazines. In 2014, advertisements for pink messaging services were found by L’Express In Planet Star. In 2018, 20 minutes reveals the magazine's untraditional methods 20 ans : a 19-year-old intern editor-in-chief, freelancers paid 10 euros per page – sometimes under the table -, and an editorial team managed by MSN. The icing on the cake: the tax authorities are wondering about the reasons which push Frédéric Truskolaski to domicile his companies in the United Kingdom (The informedJanuary 2024).

For Prisma Media's lawyer, his client is a ” responsible editor » caught in the spiral of the war between the “ French press “. Really ? Since its acquisition by Vivendi of Vincent Bolloré, some housekeeping has been done at Prisma. The group's numerous magazines, such as Capital, Here, Gala, Geo or even Tele-Leisure now have a single objective: “ create synergies » with the other boxes of the Breton billionaire. A StreetPress investigation carried out in 2022 highlighted the pressure and censorship to which journalists working for Prisma titles had been subject since 2021. No further investigation by Capital on Vivendi's activities, the deletion of an article on how to terminate your Canal+ contract, or even the very strong incentive to deal with subjects linked to religion and to recount the romantic setbacks of Eric Zemmour. In the meantime, a draft charter of ethics is buried, and a number of historical journalists are walking out the door.

Regarding the ongoing battle between RL Mags and Prisma Media, the hearing on December 13 ended with a referral to January 31, 2025, to the competition chamber.