Eight emblematic faces of the branch overlook LCI's reception.
That of Darius Rochebin hangs on the far left, near Eric Brunet, Arlette Chabot, Christophe Beaugrand and his replacement, Elizabeth Martichoux.
For the past six months, the Swiss journalist has had to withdraw from the air, but his photo has never been removed.
As proof of the confidence of the TF 1 group's news channel, on which he made his comeback this Monday, with Thierry Breton, the European Commissioner for the Internal Market, as his first guest.
A relief for the journalist of 54 years, including twenty-two to present "the TJ", the big televised news of the RTS, the big French-speaking Swiss channel.
His flawless career, which earned him his debauchery last summer by the TF 1 group, almost came to an end on October 31.
That Saturday, the Swiss daily "le Temps", renowned for its seriousness, published a thorough investigation.
For several months, three journalists collected around thirty testimonies from employees who accuse several RTS executives of harassment or sexual assault.
Among them, Darius Rochebin is accused of inappropriate gestures and "lustful questions", in particular via fake Facebook accounts.
Read also From RTS to LCI: portrait of Darius Rochebin, the "Swiss PPDA" arriving in France
At the top of the TF 1 tower, the accusations are taken very seriously. "The departure of Darius was clearly placed on the table," assures a source. Thierry Thuillier, the big boss of the news, does not want to damage the image of the channel, especially for a newcomer, little known to the public. The Swiss journalist's style has been unanimously hailed by the press, but with its 150,000 viewers, it is no match for the other issue that concerns Thierry Thuillier: the start of the 13 Hours of Jean-Pierre Pernaut. Her replacement by Marie-Sophie Lacarrau, announced a few weeks earlier, is much more important in terms of image and advertising revenue.
But Darius Rochebin surprises the management with his confidence.
He denounces an investigation based on anonymous testimony, without any complaint.
He indicated that he wanted to attack "Le Temps" for defamation and to withdraw from the air to prepare his defense.
Stay granted.
TF 1 promises to await the conclusions of the independent investigation ordered by the RTS.
Internally, some applaud the victory of the presumption of innocence.
"What would happen to me if I was unfairly attacked in the press?"
»Asks a star on the air, worried to see the Darius Rochebin case set a precedent.
In Switzerland, the case is far from closed
Absent from the air, the journalist goes to his office every day. He reads the press, writes a book on Mikhail Gorbachev, thinks about a summer program, looks for guests for his return, eats lunch in the canteen, sometimes alone, and chats with colleagues who are in a hurry. He does not let go, pleads his cause at all levels. His arguments are heard. Then heard. All his colleagues applaud when, last Friday, the RTS completely blanks him. “None of the reported facts can be considered as constituting an element of a criminal offense”, concludes the law firm commissioned by the RTS.
Thierry Thuillier savors… and charges his Swiss colleagues. "We are based on facts, not rumors, not press articles," he repeated to his troops on Monday, confirming the return to the air of Darius Rochebin. David Pujadas agrees: “This is very good news. Darius is a real signature, it perfectly embodies the quality requirement which is the hallmark of the chain. Beyond that, it is a good line of conduct for LCI. Are the doubts lifted after a long investigation? There is no complaint filed? He must find his seat ”, assures the former presenter of the 20 Hours.
In Switzerland, the case is far from closed. Employees regret that two of the bosses of the Swiss audiovisual industry have been retained in their posts. In an open letter, nearly 400 employees say they are "flabbergasted". "We note a significant difference between the way in which the RTS presented the conclusions of this document and the contents of the report itself", estimate these employees, who specify that 230 people deposited testimonies with the Collective of defense and that the conclusions of 180 testimonies "have not yet been delivered". These are expected in June. In the corridors of the Swiss channel, we are also particularly surprised that the comedian Thomas Wiesel, rare person to have testified openly against Darius Rochebin in the columns of "Time", was not contacted by the investigation independent.
These tensions did not escape TF 1. Friday, the CGT of the front page regretted "the lack of transparency of the Swiss audiovisual group in its presentation of the results". For its part, the editor-in-chief of "Temps" says it maintains "all the facts established" by its journalists.