Paris (AFP)
Darius Rochebin, who has been presenting evening news on the Swiss public television channel RTS for more than 20 years, will join LCI in September to present a daily interview program, the channels announced in two separate press releases.
"I am pleased to welcome LCI to one of the greatest French-speaking journalists, respected by its peers, who interviewed the greatest international figures", said Fabien Namias, deputy director general of LCI, in a press release.
The RTS regrets for its part "the departure of one of the pillars of its news writing and a prominent figure of television in French-speaking Switzerland".
"It is an opportunity to deepen a know-how acquired thanks to RTS and it represents for me a form of continuity. And in addition, a new journalistic experience: I will be, as Switzerland, an outside observer", explains the 53-year-old journalist.
Swiss journalist of Iranian origin, Darius Rochebin presents "Le 19:30" at the RTS since 1998. At the same time, he conducted a weekly interview with a Swiss or foreign personality who marked the news, as part of the program " Excuse me".
Darius Rochebin notably interviewed several French politicians, such as François Hollande, François Fillon, or Valéry Giscard d'Estaing.
He also received many international personalities such as Vladimir Putin, environmental activist Greta Thunberg and former UEFA president Michel Platini.
He was the first to interview many times and was notably the first to interview filmmaker Roman Polanski in 2011 after his house arrest.
© 2020 AFP