Four years that the project was in the pipes!
In all, seven production companies have approached Laurence Bloch, director of France Inter, to adapt “Sensitive Affairs” to the television, broadcast on the air from 3 pm to 4 pm since 2014. This shows the interest around this program that brings back to life the most media news, the adventures of sportsmen, as well as the financial, political or ecological scandals of the last fifty years.
A daily meeting, one of the most listened to in podcast, which has become an emblem of public service.
With the microphone, an identifiable voice among a thousand others: that of Fabrice Drouelle, 59 years old, 37 of whom spent at Radio France.
All that remained was to concretize this desire to put “Sensitive Affairs” into images, the brand of which has already been adapted into books and the theater.
It is Laurent Guimier, new director of information for France Televisions, who flashed on the idea three months ago, when redefining the range of his news magazines to "be the most complete." possible ”.
“We wondered how to do the investigation differently, says the one who succeeded Yannick Letranchant.
I have forty concepts on my desk all the time, but this one was great, with a whole new form of immediate story telling.
"Everything went very quickly, we hit the mark at the end of October," enthuses Laurence Bloch, who sees "the recognition of a successful writing".
"Without Fabrice Drouelle, it was no way"
No question of making a copy and paste like the morning hours of France bleu, nor of following a logic of pooling resources like between RTL and M 6 for Julien Courbet!
In the public service, we speak of “deployment”.
"We will keep the spirit of
sensitive business
but make a real TV program", promises Laurent Guimier, without revealing too much.
Industrial secret, obliges.
Ditto for the first topics discussed.
The only clarification is that four issues have already been launched for monthly distribution, in the second part of the evening on Wednesday from March.
“We will choose the most promising subjects from an offer of more than 1,500 programs and provide all the documentation,” slips Laurence Bloch all the same.
Behind, there is a great team, headed by Christophe Barreyre.
“In front, there will always be Fabrice Drouelle.
“Without him, it was
no way
, adds his boss.
Especially since he has witnessed major events, especially when he was on the 8 o'clock newspaper
(Editor's note: from 2008 to 2010)
.
We just have to think about the form of the incarnation, whether it will be in the image or not.
"
One per month, then one per week?
In addition to a partnership with the INA for the archive images part, France 3 wants to bring real added value by providing exclusive testimonials, for example.
“The pace allows us to dig further, underlines Laurent Guimier.
It won't be just heritage stories.
"Laurence Bloch agrees:" This is the start of a project.
We will do everything to make it work.
Besides, I hope it will go weekly.
"
Before that, a first qualitative assessment, to know the perception of those who will discover "Sensitive affairs", and quantitative will be drawn up at the end of the season.
Officially, there is "no target audience" to achieve.
In the same box, “Exhibits” gathered this year only 470,000 viewers (4.4% of PDA).
The last number will be broadcast at the end of January, after twenty years on the air.