France Télévisions and France 24 Receive Formal Notice for Broadcasting Errors
The audiovisual regulator Arcom sent a formal notice on Thursday evening to France Télévisions and France 24 for errors in the context of the European campaign. Electoral clips from the Renaissance and RN parties were broadcast for two days, displacing those from smaller lists. Arcom emphasized that the channels must comply with their obligations by respecting the dates and order of official campaign broadcasts. According to the channels, these errors occurred from Tuesday to early Thursday morning.
Small Lists Protest Electoral Clip Mismanagement
The broadcasting order of electoral clips on public television, which changes based on time slots, was officially determined by Arcom after a draw. This order concerns the period from May 28 to June 6, leading up to the June 9 election. Leaders of smaller lists, including Pierre Beyssac of the Pirate Party and Pierre Larrouturou of the Changer l'Europe list, had pointed out these errors and demanded explanations from Arcom.
Pierre Larrouturou expressed his frustration on Thursday via social media, highlighting that France Télévisions had been airing the RN and Renaissance clips at 8:40 p.m. instead of other planned clips. Pierre Beyssac echoed these sentiments, condemning the actions as a denial of pluralism and democracy.
Upon inquiry by AFP, France Télévisions admitted to a 'human error,' stating, 'There was a reversal; it has been rectified and we are very vigilant.' Similarly, France Médias Monde, the entity responsible for France 24, acknowledged 'unintentional shifts' due to a misinterpretation of time slots. They assured that France 24 corrected the issue by 10:45 a.m. on Thursday, May 30, and resumed broadcasting the campaign programs as per the defined schedule.
Leaders from six smaller lists, including Changing Europe and the Pirate Party, have organized a press conference on Monday in front of Arcom's Paris headquarters. They plan to denounce the campaign rules, which they believe 'lock the political system and prevent the emergence of new ideas,' as mentioned in a press release.
- The controversy around the broadcasting of electoral clips underscores the challenges smaller political parties face in gaining fair media representation. The issue reflects broader concerns about media pluralism and equal access in the political arena.
- France Télévisions and France Médias Monde's swift response to correct the errors after being alerted highlights the complexities and potential pitfalls of managing a diverse and time-sensitive broadcasting schedule for electoral campaigns.
