France Télévisions
France Télévisions is France’s national public television broadcaster. It operates a portfolio of nationwide channels including France 2 (the flagship channel), France 3 (focused on regional content), France 4 (mainly cultural programming, with its remit restructured in 2025 to strengthen cultural slots), France 5 (societal issues and documentaries), 1ère (covering France’s overseas territories), France Info (a 24-hour news channel), France TV Slash(youth-oriented series), Okoo (children’s programming), and Culturebox (a culture-dedicated channel that replaced France Ô in 2021).
The broadcaster also holds minority stakes in several privately owned television companies, including M6 Group, Lagardère Active, and MultiThématiques.
Media assets
Television: France 2, France 3, France 4, France 5, 1ère, France TV Slash, Culturebox, France Info
State Media Matrix Typology
Independent State-Funded and State-Managed/Owned (ISFM)
Ownership and governance
France Télévisions is a state-owned joint-stock company governed by a 14-member board of directors, each serving a five-year term. The composition includes two Members of Parliament appointed by the cultural affairs committees of the National Assembly and the Senate, five state representatives, five independent personalities appointed by the broadcast regulator (Arcom), and two staff representatives. The President of the Republic appoints the President/CEO of France Télévisions.
Since 2015, the group has been led by Delphine Ernotte-Cunci, the first woman to head France Télévisions. In May 2025, Arcom renewed her mandate for a third term, consolidating her leadership through 2030.
Specialized committees support the board, including those on audit, strategy, compensation, and commitments. In recent years, a management committee and an editorial strategy committee have also been added.
Source of funding and budget
Traditionally financed through a combination of the licence fee and advertising, France Télévisions underwent a major funding shift in 2022 when the licence fee was scrapped (in line with Emmanuel Macron’s electoral promise) and replaced by a state subsidy from VAT receipts.
In 2020, according to an annual report from the broadcaster, France Télévisions received €2.95bn from the revenues generated by the license fee, representing nearly 82% of its total budget. The fee was a flat annual levy of €138 in France and €89 in the French territories overseas, paid by almost all French citizens. The revenues from this tax were used to fund other media outlets, such as Radio France and Arte. The fee helped insulate the broadcaster from government pressures, as authorities did not get to approve a state subsidy every year. In 2021, the corporation had a total budget of €2.79bn, 85% of which was generated through the license fee, according to a company annual report.
In 2023, France Télévisions reported turnover of €3 billion, with 80.1% coming from public funds and the remainder from advertising.
In October 2024, the French Senate adopted a reform to guarantee long-term stable financing by fixing the VAT-based contribution, replacing the previous annually negotiated allocation that had raised concerns over political interference.
The 2025 state budget, however, introduced cuts across public broadcasting, with France Télévisions facing an estimated €43 million reduction, part of an overall €80–150 million cut to the sector. Despite this, the group has maintained its investment in original French production, estimated at around €440 million annually, though entertainment and foreign game-show imports have seen budget cuts.
Looking ahead, the government is pursuing the creation of a unified public media holding company, to be called France Médias, grouping France Télévisions, Radio France, and INA, with a combined budget of around €4 billion and some 16,000 employees. The CEO of this new holding would be appointed by presidential decree following consultation with Arcom. The plan was for a two-phase merger: first establishing the holding in 2025, then completing the full merger in 2026. However, the reform has not been implemented yet. It has been subject to delays and significant pushback. It was postponed and lacks a definitive timeline for enactment. France Médias Monde (which includes France 24, RFI, Monte Carlo Doualiya) remains excluded from the merger plan, following amendments.
Editorial independence
France Télévisions is not legally obliged to favor the government, but there is no statute explicitly guaranteeing editorial independence either. Safeguards exist through governance structures involving independent experts and staff, as well as internal codes of conduct.
The broadcaster maintains a Code of Ethics and an Antennas Charter (in force since 2011), which emphasize values of honesty, transparency, independence, and pluralism. The Compliance, Ethics and Professional Conduct Department reports to the Secretary-General and oversees adherence to these standards, with dedicated ethics officers in each subsidiary.
Editorial oversight is supported by several mechanisms:
- The Editorial Strategy Committee, which sets the editorial roadmap.
- An Ethics Committee, composed of five independent experts (without sanctioning power) reporting to Arcom.
- The Advisory Programming Council, a 30-member rotating panel of viewers providing feedback and recommendations.
The broadcaster also has a strict policy to prevent corruption and fraud at France Télévisions and ensure the station’s editorial independence.
Despite political pressures and accusations of censorship, no credible evidence points to systematic state-driven censorship. There are regulatory critiques and staff concerns, but these don’t equate to enforced control of editorial content.
August 2025