This time it's getting serious: Guillaume Blanchot, head of the French media regulator Arcom, has called the independent expert who belongs to the supreme administrative court.
Subject of his investigation: Cyril Hanouna, moderator of the program "Touche pas à mon poste" (hands off my telly, TPMP for short), which airs every evening on the private channel C8 and comments on the media topicality with a notoriously cheerful gang of columnists and comedians .
The reason: On November 10, Hanouna insulted and insulted MP Louis Boyard in the worst possible way in front of the camera.
Such beautiful expressions as "dirt", "clown", "bottle", "idiot" flew around Boyard's ears - which does not quite fit the dignity of a representative of the people.
The outburst of anger was triggered by Boyard's criticism of Vincent Bolloré's business practices in Africa - Bolloré is the owner of the corporate and media empire to which C8 belongs.
For Hanouna, he has been "a friend for 20 years";
above all, Bolloré pays him 35 million euros a year.
The cascade of abuse has consequences.
Hanouna has declared himself without apology: "You don't go to someone's house to shit on their carpet." Boyard, a member of the left-wing populist La France insoumise (LFI), and Hanouna are suing each other, Boyard for the tirade, Hanouna for it Defamation.
What is meant is that Boyard has defended himself and named recent TPMP missteps, starting with the October 19 broadcast.
Hanouna had celebrated the previous day's program - for the first time more than two million viewers - and concealed the subject of the dream rating: the bestial murder of twelve-year-old Lola by a homeless person.
It's not Hanouna's first tastelessness, but it's a pinnacle nonetheless.
Public outrage increased
At first glance, the roles seem to be clearly divided: Hanouna is the foolhardy capitalist court jester who procures quota at any price, while Boyard is the prosecutor with integrity.
This seems all the more obvious as C8 boss Bolloré is known for having contributed a fair bit to the rise of the right-wing extremist Éric Zemmour;
According to calculations by media scientist Claire Sécail, in autumn 2021 Zemmour had as much airtime on TPMP as all other presidential candidates put together.
It is not for nothing that Clémentine Autain, also a member of the LFI, calls for media power to be limited;
a corresponding legislative proposal is to be introduced on November 24th.
Boyard is affiliated with the station himself
In fact, things are less clear: Boyard himself is affiliated with TPMP, having been a columnist for the show in 2021.
Hanouna hit him with the memorable phrase that he shouldn't spit on the hand that nourished him.
Other left-wing populists also have a weakness for the oh-so-popular moderator.
Raquel Garrido, a member of the LFI inner circle, was also a columnist for a Hanouna show;
she declares "solidarity" with Boyard, but says LFI MPs should continue to appear on Hanouna's shows.
Jean-Luc Mélenchon, the founder of the La France insoumise movement, has excused Hanouna for addressing things directly, not wrapping the words "in lace and poison".
It will be interesting to see how the expert judges;
its invocation sounds bureaucratic, but it is a step up in the sanctions cycle.
TPMP has been warned in the past and sentenced to sometimes heavy fines.
If a new instance is called in, it's because the camel's back is overflowing.
If that's what the sluggish media regulator thinks, then maybe LFI will finally find its way through to a consistent, dignified stance - and stop confusing TV trash with the will of the people.