The daily France-Antilles, taken up in extremis on March 17 by NJJ, the holding company of businessman Xavier Niel, was again published in paper version on Wednesday in Guadeloupe and Martinique. The group had already resumed digital service on April 1, in the midst of an epidemic of new coronavirus. The three editions of the only daily newspaper in the Antilles and Guyana were drafted on the wire on March 17 by Xavier Niel, after their liquidation on January 31 by the mixed commercial court of Fort-de-France.
"We are very happy to see the return in paper version, but it's not a simple recovery at all"
The offer of the founder of Free, already co-shareholder of Le Monde and recent owner of Nice-Matin, came 20 days later, proposing to inject 8 million euros to save the three companies and resume activity on the 1st April.
The last publication of the daily dated February 1, when employees thought they had worked on a farewell number. "France-Antilles will make its 15,000th issue, which we would not have imagined on January 31," rejoiced Caroline Bablin, the editor-in-chief of the daily in Guadeloupe. "We are very happy to see the return in paper version, but it's not a simple recovery at all," she acknowledged. "It was complicated to resume activity in full confinement (...) we left with the means at hand," explains Caroline Bablin, who had to "reconnect with everyone to restart work" then that "we made our phones professional and all our equipment".
"The big news is that we have centralized printing in Guadeloupe for Martinique and Guadeloupe," said Franck Espiasse-Cabau, acting director of France-Antilles. The newspapers (around 15,000 copies for each edition) are then sent by air, at night, to Martinique. The daily, with five weekly editions against six previously, still sells 1.20 euros per week, and 2.20 euros for the weekend newspaper, which will now appear on Friday and no longer on Saturday.
In Guadeloupe, Guyana and Martinique, France-Antilles today has "126 people in total against 235 previously", according to management.