The local television network Vià Occitanie now belongs to the La Dépêche du Midi group.

-

Franck Lodi - Sipa

The Altice group, owner of BFM TV, returned to the game a few hours before the hearing of the commercial court of Nîmes but it is to

La Dépêche du Midi

that the judges have chosen to entrust the destiny of the local TV network. Vià Occitanie.

Since Monday, the Toulouse press group (owner of six dailies in Occitanie and

Midi Olympique

) has a new string to its bow: its offer of one million euros for the resumption of Vià Occitanie frequencies in Toulouse, Montpellier and Perpignan hit the mark.

"A logical decision"

“It's a logical decision, because it was the preference of the staff at Vià Occitanie, and because for several years our two groups have been used to working together.

We are regional media, we know the attachment of our audiences to local information which constitutes our DNA, ”reacted Jean-Nicolas Baylet, CEO of

La Dépêche

, in his own columns.

However, the Altice group has been in negotiations for two years.

"Until the parent company of BFM suddenly withdraws," explains

La Dépêche

before making an offer at the very last moment.

Jean-Nicolas Baylet's group is committed to taking over 45 of the 60 employees of Vià Group.

Uncertainty hangs over the frequency of Nîmes, pending a call for tenders from the Superior Audiovisual Council (CSA).

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  • Television

  • Languedoc-Roussillon

  • Montpellier

  • Media

  • Toulouse