Stop of the France Ô channel: "This is not the end of the story"

INTERVIEW

On September 1st, the France Ô channel, TNT channel 17, was definitively shut down.

Last week, on September 28, France Télévisions published an assessment of the Monitoring Committee of the Pact for Overseas Visibility.

Between the promise of new programs devoted to Overseas Territories in the first part of the evening on France 2 and France 3, or the distribution of a daily newspaper - Info Outre-mer -, on France 3 at the end of the morning, the group public broadcasting wants to reassure after the disappearance of the dedicated channel.

This was the message from Sylvie Gengoul, director of the Overseas Department of France Televisions, invited Monday from Europe 1.

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"This is not the end of the story"

"Each medium has its own function. And a television channel, linear like this one, has a role of link with the overseas territories, of gathering. A channel is a place where one connects. This channel had everything. We are not going to come back to the fluoroscopy, or the failure, the lack of ambition. I believe that it was a painful moment for the employees, but what is important is to say that it is not the end of the story, "says Sylvie Gengoul on Europe 1, director of the French overseas department of France Televisions, appointed a year ago by Delphine Ernotte, president of the public audiovisual group.

France Ô only attracted 0.5% of the market share.

However, an official press release from France Télévisions described a new form of enthusiasm for overseas programs.

During the summer of 2020, 3.6 million viewers were on average each week watching Overseas programs broadcast on the group's national antennas, against 1.5 million in 2019. "The moment is not to regret. ", emphasizes Sylvie Gengoul.

"The Visibility Pact is here to show that this story continues, in the best way." 

A digital portal and visibility on all branches

"Our interest is the public," she adds.

"There is one thing absolutely indisputable, it is that the visibility of overseas territories on the antennas of France Télévisions is a reality and that this reflex is well established."

The director of the overseas division recalls the figures from "l'Info Outre-mer", a daily program on France Televisions: 4.1% market share, "ten times more than on France Ô". 

France Télévisions has put online "Portail des Outre-mer, la 1ère", a digital portal dedicated to overseas news.

A “multi-support”, “innovative” and “rooted in nine territories” offer, explains Sylvie Gengoul.

"We want to offer a new reading of Overseas. It really arises as a universe to be shared".

"This portal offers an unprecedented offer which is live, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, which is also an uninterrupted dialogue around the world", she adds.

As for other programs, such as

long time hosted by Daniel Picouly, who deplored the disappearance of the channel on Europe 1, the director mentions an "editorial choice".

"It is not because there is no longer this program that the 27 commitments made by France Télévisions are not respected."

Diversity, a priority project

The CSA nevertheless pointed out in its observatory of diversity only 0.4% of overseas representatives on the screen, while the proportion rose to 10% when France O still existed.

"This project is far from over. It is an absolutely priority axis for France Télévisions and Overseas France has things to say in this axis of working together", reacts Sylvie Gengoul.

"Diversity is not just a matter of representation, having a good photo at a given moment, a frozen act. For me diversity is an approach, a state of mind and from this point of view, I believe that France Télévisions has made much more progress than it seems. "