Volkswacht Bodensee - France's right-wing TV news grilled by lawmakers

CNews, often described as France's answer to Fox News, is owned by one of the country's most powerful businessmen, Vincent Bollore, a conservative billionaire who runs the telecoms behemoth Vivendi.

Along with controversial talkshows on sister channel C8, CNews reflects a rightwards shift in French politics, often airing views against immigration, Islamism and "woke" leftists, and promoting "traditional" family values.

On-air statements -- such as blaming a rise in bed bugs on immigrants or a graphic that described abortion as "the world's leading cause of mortality" -- have triggered regular reprimands from the TV watchdog and some 7.5 million euros in fines.

But it attracts large audiences, with CNews nipping at the heels of France's leading news channel, BFMTV.

In a rare public appearance on Wednesday, Bollore was questioned by lawmakers in the National Assembly.

The 71-year-old, who also owns the Canal Plus film production company, denied imposing any "ideology" on the stations, and said his stations' only interest was in "telling the truth".

But he affirmed his strong Catholic faith and opposition to abortion in deeply personal terms -- revealing his regret over allowing a partner to abort a pregnancy.

"I was weak... I let myself go along with it. There isn't a day that goes by when I don't think about that life that I helped to wipe out," he said.

- 'A lobby' -

On Thursday, it was the turn of C8's star presenter Cyril Hanouna, who hosts one of the most controversial talkshows on French TV, "Touche pas à mon poste" ("Don't Touch My TV").

He earned the station a record fine of 3.5 million euros for an episode in 2022 when he launched a foul-mouthed tirade live on air against a left-wing deputy who had criticised Bollore.

Hanouna came out fighting in the National Assembly, saying he believed there was "a sort of lobby that means people want to see me taken off the airwaves".

"There's a relentless campaign against my programmes, we know it. I bother people," said Hanouna.

Bollore has been gradually expanding his empire. As well as Groupe Canal, he has bought Paris Match magazine and radio station Europe 1.

There was uproar last year when a far-right editor was appointed to run the recently-acquired Journal du Dimanche (JDD), France's only Sunday paper.

The new editor Geoffroy Lejeune previously ran far-right weekly Valeurs Actuelles, which was found guilty of racist hate speech in 2021 for a fictional story and cartoons depicting one of the country's most prominent black MPs as a nude slave in chains and an iron collar.

But far-right views have found increasing purchase across France, particularly in rural areas seen as left behind by the government.

Surveys show strong support for anti-immigrant views, and analysts say far-right leader Marine Le Pen has her best chance yet of being elected president in 2027.

Her National Rally Party (RN), now led by her 28-year-old youthful protege Jordan Bardella, is according to polls well ahead of President Emmanuel Macron's ruling party in June's EU elections.

D.Schaer--VB