Overview
- A parliamentary hearing into Mediawan’s ties to public broadcaster France Télévisions turned hostile, and the chair briefly suspended the session after shouting and interruptions.
- Rapporteur Charles Alloncle said the producer is largely owned by U.S. fund KKR, framing that as a problem because Mediawan sells major shows to the public broadcaster.
- KKR France head Jérôme Nommé replied that KKR funds do not hold a majority stake in Mediawan but refused to give exact percentages, citing confidentiality rules.
- Shareholders Xavier Niel and Matthieu Pigasse accused the rapporteur of spreading false claims and called parts of the inquiry politicized, using the phrases “fake news” and “circus.”
- Mediawan makes flagship programs for France Télévisions and is reported to have contracts worth about €110 million a year, a scale that keeps the commission focused on who controls the company and what must be disclosed.