Together with Delphine Ernotte, whose first faithful he is and whose cabinet he directed, Stéphane Sitbon-Gomez supervises the programs and antennas of France Télévisions. While the second term of his boss expires in August 2025, and the campaign for his re-election as president of the public audiovisual group – or even for the future holding company of the public audiovisual (France Télévisions, Radio France, France Médias Monde and the INA) – promises to be very tense, Mr. Sitbón-Gómez takes stock of the last ten years and looks ahead to the next.
On Wednesday, November 20, Parliament adopted the law reforming the financing of public broadcasting. Relieved ?
The budget risk posed a real threat to our independence, but also to our ability to anticipate the future. So yes, we were relieved. But what is essential for us is that Parliament as a whole, the Minister, but also parliamentarians from all parties, have confirmed their commitment to a strong public audiovisual sector. This law does not solve everything and does not eliminate anything from the difficult economic context or from the issue of structural reforms.
In fact, the Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, intends to restart her project to maintain or even merge public broadcasting as soon as possible. Is this your battle too?
Between 2018 and 2022, at the request of the State, we saved 400 million euros. It’s colossal. Especially because, at the same time, we have been asked to triple the proximity place on our antennas, increase the part dedicated to youth, amplify our efforts in terms of information, the information continues and the fight against fake news and, therefore, last, Double investment in digital. I would add that, at the same time, we increased our investments in creation from 390 million to 440 million euros. Our obligations in the cinema amounted to 55 million euros, we increased to 80 million. Our missions continue to grow, which is very good. But it takes the time and the means to fulfill them. It is certain that a single governance will accelerate the transformations.
As ?
Let’s take the concrete example of the merger of France 3 and France Bleu which is, for me, the greatest revolution in public service in fifty years. If we add the strengths of the two antennas, we will be more powerful. Currently, France 3 does not sufficiently cover peri-urban, rural and suburban areas. Together we will have much closer territorial coverage and a much stronger information production capacity. While a few years ago we were still wondering about its identity, since 2020 France 3 has fully assumed its vocation as a regional channel: we have broadcast France Bleu’s morning programs on the France 3 antennas, to reinforce hyperproximity. Even before you reap the benefits in terms of viewership, it is a signal to the audience that your channel is entrenched.
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