Arcom's warning over RN underrepresentation challenges Radio France

Radio France faces scrutiny from the French media regulator, Arcom, over the perceived "under-representation" of the National Rally (RN) party's political figures during daytime broadcasts on its public channels, France Inter and Franceinfo. Arcom issued a formal notice, or "mise en demeure," demanding Radio France rectify this imbalance.

According to Arcom's findings, between January 1 and March 31, nearly 60% of airtime dedicated to RN members on France Inter was broadcast between midnight and 5:59 a.m. On Franceinfo, this figure exceeded 70%. The regulator highlighted that, conversely, RN representatives were insufficiently present during daytime hours (6 a.m. to midnight) relative to the party's political standing.

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These findings constitute a failure to comply with the rules of political pluralism.

Arcom considers these findings a breach of the rules governing political pluralism. Radio France defended its position, attributing the observed time-slot imbalance to "entirely conjunctural" circumstances. The public broadcaster stated that it implemented new monitoring software in January, designed to better track and manage airtime, suggesting efforts are underway to address the issue.

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The imbalance observed in speaking times during the first quarter results from a totally conjunctural situation.