Local branches on strike after the announcement of the closure of BFM Paris

The nine local branches of the news channel were on strike this Thursday, December 19. At stake: the preservation of jobs and the change of editorial direction announced by the new shareholder for 2025.

Jblack eudi in the region for BFMTV. At the call of the SNJ and CGT unions of the RMC BFM-CMA Média group, the antennas of the ten local news channel will be affected by a strike movement. Voted the day before at the general meeting by 87%, it follows the announcement of the upcoming closure of BFM Paris in the first half of 2025, information revealed by the website La Lettre. “We want assurance that no other local chain will close in the next two years and that payroll will not be reduced,” indicated the inter-union.

Launched in 2016 with the Paris branch, the local versions of the news channel, focused on local news, have multiplied in recent years (1), competing with the France 3 editorial staff, which is undergoing rapid change. The deployment in the territories – including in Paris – was accompanied by the allocation of resources and hiring. “The objective is to preserve jobs at BFM Paris, demand the unions which, beyond the twenty-seven permanent contracts, are worried about the fate of fixed-term contracts, freelancers and non-journalists. They also demand the resumption of negotiations on the working conditions of employees in the region.

The Parisian branch, in deficit of 2 to 3 million euros each year since its launch, forecast another 1.9 million euros in losses in 2025. Too much, for the new management, which argues that the content would duplicate that of the flagship. “No further closures are planned,” tried to reassure Nicolas de Tavernost, vice-president of the media branch of CMA CGM.

Fewer debates on set

This protest movement is part of a particular context for the entire group, which in July came under the control of the shipowner CMA CGM, belonging to billionaire Rodolphe Saadé. BFMTV, long the leader in news channels, has been regularly outstripped by CNews since June. Which is not to the taste of the new shareholder. The time has therefore come for the offensive: a change of editorial direction has been announced for 2025, with a return to the fundamentals of information and reporting, rather than continuing to make intensive use of long debate stages. The duo composed of Jean-Philippe Baille (deputy general manager for information of RMC / BFM) and Fabien Namias (general director of BFMTV) works there. On January 6, a major two-hour news program will be launched, played by Maxime Switek, who succeeds journalist-presenter Éric Brunet in this slot. Other changes are expected to come. The chain, which has recorded around forty departures as part of a transfer clause, is hoping for some reinforcements. First major recruit: Guillaume Daret, debauched from France 2, who will take control of the Sunday show BFM politics. Others will follow.

In January, the chain should also be fixed on the thorny issue of numbering. Arcom plans to broadcast the four news channels on free DTT. BFMTV and CNews would be followed by LCI and Franceinfo, which could capture audience shares, benefiting from a zapping reflex. Another source of pressure, and one more challenge for Camille Langlade, new editorial director of BFMTV since October. This in-house journalist, former head of the political department, has headed the local BFM Régions since 2023. His successor in the political department, Arnaud de Courcelles (also general director of BFM Business), was appointed on December 16. “The objective is to develop our local information, a constituent element of the group’s editorial line, by contributing daily to the richness of all our branches”, he declared then. Three days later, he was faced with an unprecedented strike action. And very popular, with 55% of strikers. “It’s historic, we hope to have been heard by the new shareholder,” confides Thomas Leonetti, SNRT CGT union delegate.