Employees at Europe 1 have been on strike since Friday as fears simmer about efforts to shift the station’s editorial line under pressure from Bollore. Underlying the turbulence are moves to bring Europe 1 together with CNews, a rolling TV news channel launched in 2017 by Bolloré’s media group that critics have likened to Fox News in the United States. “Day after day, the station seems to align itself a bit more with the output of CNews,” a column published at the weekend by Europe 1 journalists and union representatives said. The tie-up is seen as being driven by commercial logic – struggling Europe 1 has been shedding listeners for years, while CNews with its raft of celebrity presenters is going from strength to strength. But the possible political consequences of a closely linked radio and TV operation have not been missed by President Emmanuel Macron, who is said to be monitoring events closely ahead of presidential elections next year.

Source: The Local June 23, 2021 12:56 UTC