The war in Europe confronts the media with new challenges.

There is also an election campaign in France.

Because of the corona pandemic, it is mainly taking place in the media like never before.

The country's private broadcasters, newspapers and magazines belong to a dozen billionaires - the Senate spent weeks dealing with their concentration and the resulting dependence of the editorial offices.

The public service programs are criticized by the political right as left-leaning.

Both Eric Zemmour and Marine Le Pen want to shut down or privatize the channels, with the exception of the foreign channels “France 24” and “Radio France International”.

That also means: There should be no more broadcasting fees.

Valérie Pécresse, who is running for the Republicans, is not averse to partial privatization, but wants to keep a television and radio station – without financing it through fees.

The left wants to strengthen state radio and keep the fees or, according to the Green candidate Yannick Jadot, even increase them.

The socialists propose making them “just”, that is, those who earn better should pay more.

Only Emmanuel Macron, who five years ago described the “public service” as a “disgrace”, was missing from the list of those who expressed their ideas about broadcasting policy.

At his first appearance as a presidential candidate, he promised to abolish the fees.

They currently amount to 138 euros per year, flushing the broadcasters 3.8 billion euros a year, less than half as much as in Germany with 8.1 billion euros from the broadcasting fee.

The announcement caused a stir far beyond the studios.

Government spokesman Gabriel Attal had to appease: It was a technical reform.

In fact, Macron has abolished the “Taxe Habitation” that collects broadcasting fees.

A thinning of the offer of the public transmitters or privatizations are not planned.

That doesn't sound like a sophisticated strategy.

However, the prospects for France's public broadcaster, which includes France Télévisions, Arte France, Radio France, Réseau Outre-Mer 1ère, France Médias Monde and the Institut national de l'audiovisuel, are not rosy.