The two channels defend, on Wednesday, facing the ex-CSA, their presence on TNT from May 6. But M6 has to face a competitor project, “Six”, fiercely defended by billionaire Xavier Niel.
by Aude Dassonville
Suitable for Wednesday, February 15, will appear in the annals of French audiovisual. For the first time since M6 existed (1987), its president, Nicolas de Tavernost, was to defend before the authority for the regulation of audiovisual and digital communication (Arcom, ex-CSA) its wish to use a TNT frequency, property of the State, for the next ten years.
For the first time too, a competitor disputes him the automatic authorization of authorization which has in fact been granted to him so far: Xavier Niel (shareholder on an individual basis of the world) would like to dispose in turn of the radio resource officially available from May 6.
The founder of Iliad (Free) unveiled his television channel project, called “Six”, against the college of Authority from 9:15 am Nicolas de Tavernost had the opportunity to answer him, s ‘He wanted it, at the beginning of the afternoon, when defending his own colors. Between these two hearings, Roch-Olivier Maistre, president of Arch, and his advisers had to hear the leaders of TF1. Submitted to the same need to apply as its rival and ex-prone to merger, TF1 faces, for its part, no competition.
Directory of M6 rejuvenated
A M6, in recent days, appearances could suggest that the context was not changing the “business as usual”. As usual, indeed, Monday, February 13, Nicolas de Tavernost presented the financial results of the group of which he chairs the Management Board since 2000. As always, he announced a very enviable operating margin, at 24.6 % (against 23 , 5 % in 2021 and 19.5 % in 2019, but with a significantly decreased net profit at almost 166 million, against 280.8 million in 2021).
As usual, an interview in the press came to top the most profitable French channel on paper on paper. The arrival at the supervisory board of the owner of the CMA CGM shipowner, Rodolphe Saadé, holder of 8 % of the capital of M6, also sends the signal that concerns about the future in M6, there is no.
As a response to the opposing camp, who suggested that Nicolas de Tavernost, 72, was going to struggle to embody before the Arch the future of his channel, the manager has just rejuvenated the directory of his group of which, chance From the calendar, the mandate was expired on Monday. By making his lifelong accomplice out in particular, Thomas Valentin, 67, the DG in charge of the antennas and content (who remains his advisor), the president in post until August 22, 2025 – day of his 75 years – pushed a new generation. Among her are the general secretary of the group, Karine Blouët (53), the program director, Guillaume Charles (46 years old), and the director of strategy, Henri de Fontaines (48 years old).
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