Philippe Ballard, the spokesperson for the RN, suggests that either TF1 or M6 should consider acquiring all or part of France 2 or France 3 in order to compete with digital giants like Amazon and Netflix. He emphasizes the need for at least one major French group capable of rivaling these industry giants. Ballard, a former journalist, believes that the privatization of public broadcasting is necessary for this purpose. However, he acknowledges that changes in legislation would be required for such acquisitions to take place.
In a recent interview on franceinfo, Ballard explained that TF1 and M6 could potentially merge with France 2 and France 3 to form a stronger entity in the face of competition from digital streaming platforms. He expressed disappointment over the failed merger between TF1 and M6, which was blocked by competition authorities. Ballard believes that such a merger would have been beneficial in creating a more competitive media landscape.
While discussing the technical details of such acquisitions, Ballard assured that not all entities within public broadcasting would be privatized. He specified that services like France 24 and RFI, as well as those related to overseas territories, would remain under public control. Additionally, channels like TV5 Monde and Arte, which have unique statuses, would not be affected by the proposed privatization. Ballard aimed to reassure employees in the public broadcasting sector that any changes would be implemented carefully and not through abrupt measures.
Overall, Ballard’s proposal to merge major French television networks in response to the dominance of digital platforms highlights the ongoing debate surrounding the future of media in an increasingly digital world. The potential impact of such acquisitions on the French broadcasting landscape and the competition with global streaming services adds an interesting dimension to the discussion on the role of public and private media entities in the modern era.