French media regulator Arcom issues formal notice to Radio France over daytime under-representation of Rassemblement National

The regulator's findings

France's audiovisual regulator, Arcom, announced on Thursday 11 June 2026 that it had issued a formal notice (mise en demeure) to Radio France for the "under-representation" of the Rassemblement National (RN) in daytime programming. The period under review ran from 1 January to 31 March 2026, covering the campaign for the municipal elections held on 15 and 22 March.

“Nearly 60% of the airtime granted to RN representatives on France Inter was broadcast between midnight and 5:59 a.m., and more than 70% on Franceinfo from 1 January to 31 March.”

The regulator stated that this pattern constituted "breaches of the rules on political pluralism." Arcom also noted that similar observations about RN airtime at night had already led to a reminder to Radio France of its obligations in both 2025 and 2026.

Radio France's response

Radio France attributed the imbalance to a technical error. The public broadcaster explained that it had changed its airtime-tracking software in January and that the new system did not distinguish between daytime and nighttime broadcasts.

“The error has been corrected.”

The formal notice is the final step in Arcom's enforcement scale before a possible financial penalty if the broadcaster fails to comply again.

The wider pluralism context

The issue of political pluralism in French broadcasting is particularly sensitive with the 2027 presidential election approaching and following a parliamentary inquiry into the "neutrality" and "financing" of public audiovisual media. Arcom stressed that respect for pluralism rules "applies to the public service with a particular requirement given its duty of exemplarity and impartiality."

In April, Arcom had already reprimanded both France Télévisions and Radio France after a journalist on the programme "Questions politiques" made contentious remarks about the newly elected New York mayor Zohran Mamdani and the 7 October attacks while questioning La France Insoumise leader Manuel Bompard.

What comes next

Another decision from Arcom is expected shortly concerning the rolling news channel CNews, which is part of conservative billionaire Vincent Bolloré's media group. Reporters Without Borders (RSF) filed a complaint with the regulator in January, asking it to sanction CNews for what the NGO described as "flagrant failings" in terms of pluralism.