“We are not fighting against Cyril Hanouna, but against the media empire”

Louis Boyard doesn’t want to stop there. Less than a week after his heated argument with Cyril Hanouna on the set of “Touche pas à mon poste” (TPMP) on C8, the young MP of La France insoumise returns to franceinfo in this sequence. In addition to the complaint against the star presenter of the Vincent Bolloré group, the elected representative of Val-de-Marne is now asking for a parliamentary commission of inquiry in the National Assembly on media concentration in France. He is also championing a bill that would prohibit the owner from owning more than 20% of the media’s shares. Care.

Franceinfo: You decided to file a complaint against host Cyril Hanouna for “public insult against a person in charge of a public service mission”, why?

Louis Boyard: I couldn’t complain. When you insult an elected official on TV, it’s something not to be missed. Then I decided to take legal action because it insulted millions of people who were using racist and Islamophobic remarks on the set of this show. [“Touche pas à mon poste”]. I also wanted to show that we cannot allow everything to be said. This scene happened because I wanted to criticize Vincent Bolloré, the owner of the C8 channel, and I did not expect to be censored.

This incident points to a major political situation in our country, that is, billionaires own the media in France and cannot freely criticize the owners of these channels when they play a major role in our companies. This is a very worrying sign, and that is why we are proposing our law on November 24 to end media concentration.

How exactly can this law prevent the concentration of media by certain businessmen, as you condemn?

Our bill would prohibit you from owning more than 20% of media when you own multiple channels. This means that no one can influence media editorial alone. NopeWe think that pluralism, not media independence, should be established, which is prevented today by the fact that these billionaires have a monopoly everywhere. This is incomprehensible.

“Vincent Bollore is not just any channel owner. He influences all the media he owns to carry an extreme right-wing political line. Just look at the relationship between the Bollore empire and Eric Zemmur to see that there really is such a political line. It is defended through this monopoly. This is what we want to condemn.”

Louis Boyard

MP LFI

Cyril Hanouna has also decided to take legal action against you for defamation. Are we not witnessing a personal battle between you?

I let justice take its course. Cyril Hanouna is trying to settle and personalize things, but I won’t get into a personal war game. On the other hand, I want to have a political debate and I ask Cyril Hanouna: is he ready to organize a debate on the work of Vincent Bollore in Africa? Unfortunately, I am asking this question knowing full well that he will not.

You condemn the “suffocation” of Vincent Bolloré on the group channels, but a few years ago you worked as a columnist on the shooting of Cyril Hanouna. Isn’t your speech contradictory?

You do not have to owe a duty of loyalty to the person giving you the award. I think this rule reveals something serious. Then Vincent Bolloré’s work in Africa is something I read very recently. But I have never changed my political line. I have always sided with the denigration and trivialization of the far right. At that time, in Touche pas à mon poste, I was actually contradicting the editorial line of the channel.

Should the Left continue this show?

This is a debate that cuts across all political formations, not just the left. To me, shows like “TPMP” are spaces of public expression that have been hijacked by the billionaires who own them. Our responsibility is to stand up to these billionaires, because the left’s DNA is to go to markets, corners, and therefore never obvious places.

“We have a cultural struggle. Personally, I will always be critical of the fact that this show is at the mercy of a billionaire who censors and settles settlements when we oppose him.”

Louis Boyard

MP LFI

What do you expect from an application to the Audiovisual and Digital Communications Regulatory Authority (Arcom)?

Respecting the independence of Arcom and the results it will produce, I do not want to answer this question. It is not for me, deputy, to give suggestions or even little instructions to “Arcom”. I have a duty that requires me not to influence him and I will respect whatever his decision is.

You held a press conference on Monday to announce your intention to take legal action against Cyril Hanouna, but none of your fellow LFI MPs were physically on your side, why?

It is a matter of organization and time. Mathilde Panot, president of my group, was scheduled to attend. But it was impossible to do this, because everything was arranged in a bit of a hurry. I especially remember the member’s support when he said that it was impossible for him to be insulted in this way. Manuel Bompard, David Guiraud and many deputies also supported me.

“It’s not a battle I’m fighting alone. After that, above all else, there’s the most important support: the people. No one has come to see me on the street and said they disagree with what I’m saying. .”

Louis Boyard

MP LFI

Jean-Luc Mélenchon seemed a little wary about it… Have you talked to him?

Yes. He wanted to learn. With Jean-Luc Mélenchon, like all elected officials of the LFI, we do not have a personal fight with Cyril Hanouna or Vincent Bolloré. We are waging a political struggle against the media empire that stifles freedom of expression. Today, Cyril Hanouna is the only one with an individual approach. He organized a two-hour program on Monday evening that turned into a political trial against me.

You want to establish a parliamentary commission of inquiry into media concentration in the National Assembly. Is there no risk of repeating what the Senate did last March?

The 32 recommendations proposed by the Senate are very interesting and I welcome them. Now there was that consistency, and I think we should use that to launch this commission of inquiry into media concentration. It should more specifically target the Bollore empire, its financing and its implications for our democracy. The subject is so serious that everyone should take it up now. The parliament will do it, I hope, but I would like the government to bring it up. This is such an important issue that all institutions should deal with it.