During an audition before members of parliament on March 27, 2024, the team behind the show “Quotidien” hosted by Yann Barthès on the channel TMC admitted to not inviting any members of the National Rally (RN) party on their show’s set. They claimed that despite this, the rules of balance in speaking time were “perfectly respected.” The decision to not invite RN representatives was described as a collective decision, based on the treatment the journalists from the show have received from the RN. Yann Barthès accused the far-right party of boycotting, discrediting, and attacking the “Quotidien” team for years, alleging that their journalists have been victims of violence while covering the party’s events.
The audition took place in front of the National Assembly’s commission of inquiry into the allocation of digital terrestrial television frequencies. Yann Barthès, the producer Laurent Bon, journalist Julien Bellver, and officials from TF1, the parent company of TMC, were present. The RN had requested this audition as they were not being invited to the show “Quotidien,” a request that was granted by the President of the commission, Quentin Bataillon. During the hearing, Barthès expressed his displeasure at being there but stated that all political sensitivities are represented on the show and that the legal framework regarding balance in speaking time is being respected, as emphasized by Ara Aprikian, the number two at TF1.
The speaking time on the show is monitored by the Audiovisual and Digital Communication Regulatory Authority (Arcom) both on set and in recorded segments. This led to a response from RN member Thomas Ménagé, who accused “Quotidien” of being the only show in the French audiovisual landscape that deliberately excludes a part of the political spectrum. The tension between the show and the RN stems from the party’s treatment of the show’s journalists, who have allegedly faced challenges in accessing the party’s events and have been subjected to violence.
The decision to not invite RN representatives on “Quotidien” was defended by the show’s team as a response to the treatment of their journalists by the RN. Despite this, they maintained that the legal requirements for balance in speaking time are being met on the show. The hearing before the commission of inquiry shed light on the ongoing conflict between the show and the RN, with both parties presenting their perspectives on the matter. This incident underscored the complex relationship between media outlets and political parties, highlighting the challenges faced by journalists in covering certain political groups.
