Paris (AFP)
A new boss for Liberation: Denis Olivennes, former director of Canal +, Europe 1 and Le Nouvel Obs, will take over the reins of everyday life when he changes status to become a foundation.
The 59-year-old enarch leaves the presidency of CMI France, the French media group of Czech billionaire Daniel Kretinsky (Elle et ses declensions, Version Femina, Télé 7 Jours, Télé 7 jeux, France dimanche et Ici Paris as well as Marianne), which he has been insuring since the start of 2019.
"Following the announcement of the creation of the FDPI (Endowment Fund for an Independent Press) guaranteeing the shareholder stability and independence of Liberation, the management of the title is strengthened: Denis Olivennes is appointed CEO and co-manager of At the end of the creation of the Endowment Fund, he will take the presidency of Presse Indépendante SAS, company in charge of newspaper management, of which he will have operational control ", specifies an email sent to the employees.
He "will work with Laurent Joffrin, editorial director, management and Liberation teams to build the future of the newspaper together around five fundamental pillars: shareholder stability, editorial independence, editorial excellence, digital development, economic sustainability ".
Laurent Joffrin, who remains managing editor, succeeded him at L'Obs in 2011.
Denis Olivennes headed Numéricable, Canal +, Fnac and the Nouvel Observateur group, before presiding over the management board of Lagardère Active (former division of the Lagardère group, on which Europe Europe radio in particular depended) between 2011 and 2018.
- "Free and provocative" -
"I thank Patrick Drahi (founder of Altice, owner of Liberation) for his confidence and for the honor he has given me. With the Liberation teams, we will work together to build the future of the newspaper, in loyalty to its history and the scrupulous respect for its values of everyday life on the left, incomparable on the cultural level, free and provocative in its approach, rigorous in terms of information ", he indicates in the text.
"Journalists, employees, freelancers, readers, partners and loyal supporters of this unique title in the media world can count on my commitment by their side. We will continue and amplify the current dynamic, particularly in digital, in order to to ensure the development of Liberation and its economic balance which are the condition of its freedom ", continues the new leader.
Clément Delpirou, director of Libé for two and a half years, has decided to leave the group for a "new adventure" in the real estate field.
This former manager of the professional press group Infopro Digital had been recruited by Altice in late 2017 for his digital expertise. Under his leadership, Libé went from 8,000 digital subscribers (September 2018) to 50,000 at the end of June.
At Liberation, he was the 6th general manager in two years.
In mid-May, Altice France, owner of Liberation, had created the surprise by announcing its intention to separate from the newspaper to transfer it to a non-profit company, a new device for a daily newspaper in France and supposed to guarantee the independence of the title, but which had raised doubts among employees.
"Patrick Drahi contributed to a non-profit, non-transferable press endowment fund. If the foundation makes a profit, it will be reinvested or donated to works. This will protect the newspaper from collusion between editorial and economic ", estimated Clément Delpirou in a" balance sheet "interview in Petitweb at the end of May.
"It seems to me that we are not launching in terms of announcement, energy, investment, in a device like this to say in 18 months," it is not profitable I do not pursue ". The Altice organization is adapted for large companies, but these offices, this head office, weigh on the accounts. This device + non profit + makes it possible to reduce the costs of integration in a group ", he had analyzed.
Denis Olivennes has scheduled a first internal speech at 2:30 p.m.
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