Producer Stéphane Courbit Defended Nagui's High Earnings Before Commission

Stéphane Courbit, president of the international production group Banijay, appeared before the French parliamentary commission investigating the audiovisual neutrality of public media. The hearing lasted three hours and primarily concerned the issue of compensation and the relationship between external producers and the public broadcaster France Télévisions. The main point of the hearing was the defense of the high earnings of popular television presenter Nagui, whose company, Banijay, acquired in 2008. Courbit argued that Nagui is "very well paid" due to his "rather unique talent." The producer went so far as to compare the presenter to football players, stating that, like athletes, people with exceptional skills in the entertainment industry deserve high compensation. "It's a profession where talents are quite rare, which is why they are so well paid compared to the professions of 99% of French people," Courbit explained. He added that Nagui and another well-known presenter, Cyril Hanouna, "are not overly concerned about their future," as they can easily find other buyers for their productions. The French public audiovisual market, led by France Télévisions, has been subject to debate for years regarding costs, neutrality, and financial transparency. The high salaries of television stars financed by the TV license fee or public funds are regularly criticized by politicians and public opinion, especially in the context of budget cuts and rising living costs. During the hearing, Courbit tried to distance his company from the scale of France Télévisions' operations, claiming that Banijay represents only 1% of the public broadcaster's revenue. In this way, he attempted to minimize the perceived influence of external producers on the finances and programming direction of public media. In a personal reflection, the producer described himself as a "conservative bourgeois," but stressed that holding conservative views should not mean creating exclusively conservative programs. In his opinion, the goal of entertainment is to reach the widest possible audience while maintaining a certain dignity. Courbit's hearing is part of the broader activities of the parliamentary commission, established to investigate allegations of lack of neutrality, waste of public funds, and unclear financial relationships in the audiovisual sector. The commission's rapporteur, Charles Alloncle, previously stated that Nagui was "the person who has enriched himself the most from public money in France over the last ten years." This statement formed the backdrop for the questions directed at Courbit. The commission is also examining the safeguards television stations have in place in case stars leave, which was mentioned in the context of clauses protecting broadcasters' interests.