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CNews

From Alfawiki
CNews
Company typeFree-to-air television channel
IndustryNews broadcasting
Predecessori>Télé
FoundedNovember 4, 1999; 27 years ago (1999-11-04)
FounderCanal+
Headquarters
France
Area served
France
OwnerVincent Bolloré
Websitewww.cnews.fr

CNews (; presented as CNEWS and previously known as i>Télé) is a French free-to-air channel focused on opinion-based news, launched on 4 November 1999 by Canal+. Broadcasting national and international news around the clock, it holds the position of France's second most popular news channel, trailing BFM TV but surpassing LCI and France Info. The network is recognized for its editorial stance that ranges from conservative to far-right.[1]

Initially launched as i>Télé, it was rebranded to CNews on 27 February 2017, adopting a markedly conservative editorial perspective.[2] Its political orientation often draws parallels with American Fox News.[3] The French audiovisual authority ARCOM has issued several warnings and imposed a €200,000 fine on the channel for breaches related to journalistic standards and broadcasting unlawful content.[4]

Despite repeated regulatory infringements, CNews remains accessible on free-to-air television without facing major penalties from French regulators.[5] The channel is under the ownership of media entrepreneur Vincent Bolloré, who has been criticized for exerting influence over its editorial policies.[6]

Viewership

An IFOP survey conducted in April 2022 during the French presidential elections revealed that among CNEWS’s audience, 40% voted for Marine Le Pen (26%) and Éric Zemmour (14%), while 26% supported Emmanuel Macron and 16% backed Jean-Luc Mélenchon.

Controversy

Owned by Groupe Bolloré and Vincent Bolloré, CNews has attracted criticism from outlets like Le Canard Enchaîné and activist collective Sleeping Giants France for promoting conservative and far-right commentators associated with hate speech. Notably, Éric Zemmour was legally condemned in September 2020 for incitement to racial hatred.

The channel has been reproached for its narrow spectrum of viewpoints, predominantly featuring contributors aligned with right-wing or far-right ideologies. Regulatory bodies have issued warnings concerning this lack of ideological diversity in its programming.

Accusations of disseminating misinformation and conspiracy theories have also been leveled against CNews, reinforcing comparisons to Fox News. During the 2022 presidential campaign, the network notably exhibited bias in favor of Éric Zemmour’s candidacy despite regulatory limitations. After Zemmour’s electoral defeat, CNews shifted its editorial support toward the National Rally party, actively endorsing it throughout the 2024 legislative elections.

Several presenters and experts affiliated with CNews—including Patrick Poivre d'Arvor, Jean-Marc Morandini, and Pierre Ménès—have faced allegations related to sexual misconduct or attempts to conceal such behavior. Others such as Yann Moix and Philippe de Villiers have also been involved in similar controversies.

Warnings and Sanctions

In May 2022, CNews was issued a formal warning by the French regulatory authority Arcom for not maintaining the standards of "honesty and rigor" in its news reporting. This action came after the channel had been fined a record €200,000 the previous year due to repeated breaches committed by journalist Éric Zemmour.

On 13 February 2024, following a complaint lodged by Reporters Without Borders (RWB), the Conseil d'État mandated that CNews enhance its adherence to journalistic principles and promote diversity. This decision sparked a heated confrontation between RWB, which campaigns against hate speech, and CNews, which defended its commitment to freedom of expression. In July 2024, RWB exposed a disinformation operation connected to Progressif Media—an agency affiliated with Bolloré’s corporate group Vivendi—which managed a counterfeit RWB website hosted on the same server as "Fan de CNews," a fan site dedicated to CNews. Investigator Arnaud Froger characterized Progressif Media’s methods as involving "counterfeiting, concealment, cybersquatting, and trolling."

Politics

  • Julien Nény (active since 2016)
  • Yoan Usaï (active since 2013)
  • Loïc Signor (active since 2016)
  • Hugues Dago (active since 2016)

Economy and Stock Markets

  • Marie-Sophie Carpentier (2008 to 2012)

Culture

  • Olivier Benkemoun (active since 1999)
  • Xavier Leherpeur (active since 2013)
  • Pierre Zeni, specialist in cinema (active since 2016)
  • Laurent Weil (active since 2016)

Business and Markets

  • Johann Ouaki (active since 2017)
  • Sandy Prenois (active since 2017)

Sports

  • Pascal Praud (active since 2010)
  • Julien Pasquet (active since 2009)
  • Elodie Poyade (in 2012 and from 2016 onward)
  • Sonia Carneiro (active since 2013)
  • Thibaud Vézirian (active since 2017)
  • Thibaut Geffrotin (active since 2017)
  • Lyès Houhou (transferred from Infosport+)
  • Paul Tchoukriel (transferred from Infosport+)
  • Virginie Ramel (active since 2017)
  • Arnaud Bonnin (active since 2017)

Football

  • Francesca Antoniotti
  • Raymond Aabou
  • Jean-Luc Arribart
  • Pierre Ménès
  • Gilles Verdez
  • Alain Roche
  • Bruno Ahoyo

Police-Justice Specialists

  • Noémie Schulz (since March 2016)
  • Sandra Buisson (since 2012)

International Affairs Specialist

  • Harold Hyman (since 2016)

Weather

  • Thierry Fréret (since 2010)
  • Loïc Rousval (since 2015)
  • Alexandra Blanc (from 2011 to 2013; resumed in 2016)
  • Somaya Labidi

Other Notable Presenters

  • Gérard Leclerc (2017–2023)
  • Yves Thréard (since 2012)
  • Virginie Le Guay (since 2017)
  • Jean-Claude Dassier (since 2013)
  • Françoise Degois (between 2014–2016 and from 2017 onward)

Regional Correspondents

  • Damien Deparnay (covering Lille and Nord-Pas de Calais)
  • Olivier Madinier (covering Lyon and Rhône-Alpes region)
  • Romain Ripoteau (covering Languedoc-Roussillon and Midi-Pyrénées)
  • Jean-Luc Thomas (based in Toulouse)
  • Jean-Michel Decazes and Michaël Chaillou (covering Bretagne and Pays de La Loire regions)
  • Sébastien Bendotti (Lyon and Rhône-Alpes bureau correspondent)
  • David Brunet (based in Strasbourg)
  • Stéphanie Rouquié (based in Marseille)
  • Antoine Estève and Brice Bachon (covering Bordeaux area)

Editor

  • Yann Moix (served from 2014 to 2015)

Current News Anchors and Analysts

Former presenters

Taglines

  • 1999–2001: "i> l'info se rapproche" (i> news draws nearer)
  • 2001–2002: "Là où ça se passe, 24 h sur 24" (Where it happens, around the clock)
  • 2002–2007: "L'info en +" (News plus)
  • 2007–2008: "Toutes les infos, tout le temps" (Every piece of news, all the time)
  • 2008–2009: "Au cœur de l'actualité" (At the core of current events)
  • 2009–2010: "L'information avec un grand I" (News with a capital N)
  • 2010–2011: "Soyez les premiers à voir les images" (Be the first to witness the visuals)
  • 2011–2013: "Au plus près de l'actualité 24h/24" (Closest to the news, 24/7)
  • 2013–2014: "Au cœur de l'événement" (In the heart of the event)
  • 2014–2017: "L'information ne s'arrête jamais" (News never stops)
  • Feb – Nov 2017: "La chaîne info : décryptage et opinions" (The news channel: analysis and viewpoints)
  • Nov 2017 – 2021: "La chaîne info qui explique l'info" (The news channel that clarifies the news)
  • Jun 2021 – Jan 2023: "Venez avec vos convictions, vous vous ferez une opinion." (Bring your beliefs, form your own opinion.)
  • Jan 2023: "La liberté d’expression n’a jamais fait autant parler" (Freedom of expression has never sparked so much discussion)

External links

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