What are the speaking time rules in the audiovisual media?
The Superior Audiovisual Council (CSA) distinguishes two periods:
Outside the election period
, the rule is that of one third of the speaking time for the executive (President of the Republic on remarks relating to the national political debate and the government) and two thirds for all the existing political parties of LREM, Modem, LR, PS, PCF, rebellious France, Europe Ecology The Greens… Up to all the small parties including Agir, Debout la France, Générations-S, Libres !, Public square …… The speaking time allocated to each party is estimated on the results of previous elections weighted by polls and the dynamics specific to the politician.
Political figures who are not members of a party such as Eric Zemmour and Marion Maréchal are classified as various right or Arnaud Montebourg who is classified as various left.
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During the election period
, the CSA will publish in a month, its framework for the presidential election.
The principle is to arrive at equal speaking time for each of the presidential candidates two weeks before the first round of the election.
Which media are concerned?
The media concerned are only those which are bound by an agreement with the CSA and which have a hertzian frequency.
This therefore concerns all television channels and all terrestrial radios.
In contrast, digital media are not subject to speaking time control.
Thus, a politician can create his YouTube or Twitch channel, or intervene on social networks without his speaking time being deducted.
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The press is not concerned since it is not regulated by the CSA but governed by the law of 1881 on the freedom of the press.
How is the billing ensured?
It is the TV and radio channels which count the speaking times of the various invited political figures.
Every month they send the statement to the CSA which, for its part, carries out random checks via a dedicated team within the programs department.
If the speaking time of one or other of the formations is exceeded, the offending TV or radio station has 3 months to restore the balance.