In his report resulting from the work of the commission of inquiry into public broadcasting, published Tuesday, MP Charles Alloncle believes that public broadcasting is in a financial and administrative "crisis", and has "(lost) contact with the expectations of the French". The president of France Télévisions, Delphine Ernotte Cunci, denounces a “incriminating” report while Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu regrets a “missed opportunity”.

Published on: 05/05/2026 - 09:27 Modified on: 05/05/2026 - 11:06

Lack of neutrality and control, conflicts of interest, excessively high costs: public broadcasting is in a "crisis" and no longer meets the "expectations of the French", judges Union of Rights for the Republic (UDR) MP Charles Alloncle in his report published Tuesday May 5, immediately accused of wanting to weaken it, or even privatize it.

After nearly six months of parliamentary work punctuated by numerous incidents and controversies, the 551 pages of the report of the commission of inquiry on "the neutrality, operation and financing of public broadcasting" were put online early Tuesday morning on the National Assembly website.

“Missed opportunity”

“Let's say it clearly: this report unfortunately misses the essential point. It's a missed opportunity,” Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu tackled X.

The work was launched at the request of the UDR, the small party of Eric Ciotti, an ally of the National Rally (RN) which calls for the privatization of public broadcasting.

“We are all children of French public broadcasting,” says Charles Alloncle’s report, which lists a long list of emblematic programs, from “Thalassa” to “Fort Boyard”, including “The Treasure Map”, “Taratata”, or “The Hour of Truth”.

But, in his eyes, the sector, whose pillars are France Télévisions and Radio France, is today in a financial and administrative "crisis". And he would have “(lost) contact with the expectations of the French”, writes Charles Alloncle.

The parliamentarian points to examples illustrating, according to him, "militant bias", "targeted and assumed hostility" towards the RN among certain figures on public television or radio, or "humor elevated to militant expression".

It also draws a gloomy financial report and the “need to make structural savings”. Among the “dysfunctions”, “the most serious is unequivocally the disengagement of the supervisory and control authorities, which has allowed the excesses of this public service”. He is thereby targeting the State and the Court of Auditors.

Through 69 recommendations, it recommends more than a billion euros in savings out of the four billion that public broadcasting receives from the State to operate France Télévisions, Radio France and France Médias Monde (which notably includes France 24 and RFI).

This would notably involve the elimination of the youth channel France 4, the merger of France 2 and France 5, where magazines and documentaries are broadcast, or that of franceinfo and France 24 as well as that of the television and radio networks France 3 Régions and ICI.

Also readPublic service media considered important or even essential by a majority of French people

“All that to get to this point?”

The president of France Télévisions, Delphine Ernotte Cunci, did not mince her words on Tuesday on X after the publication of the report. "All this to get to this point? To arrive at an incriminating report, built on insinuations, approximations and untruths?" asks the boss of the public group, who was interviewed twice by the commission. “To arrive at a text which claims to strengthen public broadcasting while in reality proposing its historical weakening?”

According to Delphine Ernotte Cunci, "by reducing entertainment, it carries an elitist vision, distant from families, from the most popular audiences". And “it will make access to sport payable for those who cannot afford to pay”.

“In reality, the report eludes the real challenges of the future: disinformation, competition from large international platforms, the sustainability of French and European creation,” she notes. “What this report proposes is the largest social plan in French cultural history,” the leader further criticizes.

“This does not mean that nothing must change” and “France Télévisions will continue to evolve,” she pledges. Thus, “everything that is feasible, useful, a source of savings and consistent with our missions will be put in place,” according to her.

Delphine Ernotte Cunci, who also points to "personal attacks" and "attempts of intent" on the part of Charles Alloncle, promises to respond "on all points of this report".

“Preparing minds” for privatization

For his part, the president of the commission of inquiry, the Horizons deputy Jérémie Patrier-Leitus, accused Charles Alloncle of wanting to "prepare people's minds" for a privatization of France Télévisions and Radio France. According to his foreword to the report, Charles Alloncle's objective was to cast "discredit and in a certain way opprobrium" on the sector, whose "considerable assets" he on the contrary underlines, with France Inter radio for example largely dominating the audiences.

As soon as the report was adopted - narrowly - last week, RN president Jordan Bardella reaffirmed the promise of "privatization", the implementation of which would be very complex in the eyes of experts, if his party comes to power.

Charles Alloncle denies carrying out such a project. “There are chain mergers to be carried out”, but “in no case have I positioned myself for privatization”, he declared Tuesday morning to franceinfo.

Targeted by numerous criticisms for his methods described as "inquisitorial", but applauded in the ranks of the critics of public broadcasting, the 32-year-old MP hopes to translate part of his report into a proposed law. He would like to table it during a future UDR parliamentary meeting at the end of June.

With AFP

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