On February 21, journalist Jules Torres reported on the closure of the C8 television channel during his appearance on Touche pas à mon poste. While dining at a restaurant nearby, he overheard employees from the regulatory authority Arcom discussing the channel's impending shutdown. One employee allegedly remarked, "We were told to fire Hanouna, we did our job. We’re quite happy to have taken down the Bolloré group," indicating no concern for the potential loss of jobs for around 400 of Hanouna's associates.
Following these claims, Arcom responded with a statement on February 23, stating they were aware of the media allegations but denied any such conversations took place. The regulatory body asserted, "No members of the college, currently or during the decision publicized on December 12, 2024, were located in the mentioned area on February 21." They also clarified they had relocated their headquarters earlier, debunking claims of proximity and access to the discussions.
The closure of C8, confirmed by the Conseil d'État on February 19, is set for March 1. The decision has forced the end of several beloved programs, including Les animaux de la 8 and Direct Auto, with other shows like Touche pas à mon poste set to conclude shortly. Veteran host William Leymergie expressed his outrage about this unprecedented media crackdown during his broadcast, emphasizing the harsh realities of losing such programming. He proclaimed, "This show will cease by the end of the week along with C8’s entire lineup, by decisions made by Arcom and the Conseil d'État. Two state institutions united to abolish, for the first time, a complete television channel. This unprecedented violence targets you, the sovereign people!"
Arcom had initially indicated its intentions to remove the channels back in July 2024 due to various infractions. Despite the attempts by Canal+, the ownership group of these channels, to contest this decision, the Supreme Council stood firm, resulting in the confirmation of the closure. At the exact hour of 23:59 on March 1, C8 and NRJ12 will stop airing, creating empty channels 8 and 12 on the TNT network.
This transition, according to Arcom’s plan, will also reorganize the channel numbering on the French audiovisual network. Starting March 1, viewers will see error messages or prompts to adjust their settings as C8 and NRJ12 go dark. The channels will remain vacant until June 6, 2025, when new programming slots are expected to be assigned. La Chaîne Parlementaire and Public Sénat will take over channel 8, with Gulli moving to channel 12.
Further adjustments to the TNT are also underway. Canal+ has opted to withdraw four of its paid channels—Canal+, Cinéma, Sport, and Planète—including freeing up more space on the platform. France 4 will replace Canal+, with news channels being consolidated as well; BFMTV will move to channel 13, CNews to 14, LCI to 15, and Franceinfo to 16. A noteworthy addition is the emergence of T18, which will air documentary content, founded by Czech investor Daniel Kretinsky.
By September 1, OFTV, the new channel from the Sipa-Ouest-France group, will commence operations on channel 19, focusing on local news, films, and French series. This substantial restructuring will undoubtedly require viewers to adapt to the new lineup as they seek familiar content amid the changes.
These recent developments mark significant upheaval within France’s television industry, triggering debates about regulatory powers and media freedom, as talents and audiences alike face new uncertainties. Amid these sweeping changes, viewers are left to brace for the transition as they navigate through this dynamic TV reorganization.