A TV set that was unexpected to say the least. The Renaissance deputy Quentin Bataillon, president of the commission of inquiry into TNT frequencies, took stock of his work Tuesday on the C8 channel Tuesday April 2 on the Cyril Hanouna set, while he was interviewed by this same commission.
In “Touche pas à mon poste”, the elected representative of the presidential majority scratched a host competing with Cyril Hanouna, Yann Barthès, who was also heard: “I think it’s the first time that I got angry , he had a fairly arrogant attitude from the start, he refused to answer our questions,” said Quentin Bataillon about the presenter of Quotidien, on TMC.
“We don’t go into homes to say what is good and what is bad”
The deputy did educational work on the work of his commission, which was initiated by LFI deputies in the fall to shed light on the allocation of DTT frequencies, including those of C8 and CNews brought into play this year .
Its rapporteur, the Insoumis Aurélien Saintoul, will write his report "alone" by the beginning of May, and "I imagine that it will be marked", said the elected official, wishing to "get away from the witch hunt, of the hunt for presenters, journalists, channels.” “We need to make recommendations on the framework” for the choice of frequency holders, he said. “We don’t go into people’s homes to tell them what is good, what is bad” and, “sometimes, the contempt that some people may have for your show is transferred to those who watch it,” argued the parliamentarian .
Tensions with the Insoumis rapporteur
With Aurélien Saintoul, “I did everything to keep relations as cordial as possible,” he added, while relations became strained over the course of the hearings, including that of Vincent Bolloré, the billionaire who controls the group. Canal + including C8, to that of the Minister of Culture Rachida Dati.
Dear @qbataillon, thank you for your experimental approach to move the commission of inquiry forward. Don't forget to check if we can now name or even criticize V. Bolloré in #TPMP without risking being attacked by C. #Hanouna. It will always be a given. https://t.co/MCmejdx9ii
— Aurélien Saintoul (@A_Saintoul) April 2, 2024
Aurélien Saintoul reacted on » He refers to an episode from November 2022 where LFI deputy Louis Boyard, guest on the show, was insulted live. This resulted in a record fine of 3.5 million euros for C8.
Numerous reactions from the opposition
Several deputies criticized the intervention of Quentin Bataillon at Cyril Hanouna. For Alexis Corbière (LFI), “no one can believe in their independence and objectivity anymore”.
Staggering...This MP and President of the Commission on DTT @qbataillon has just discredited his role. From now on, no one can believe in his independence and objectivity
Ridiculous... distressing https://t.co/FLnh3mnzJm
— Alexis Corbière (@alexiscorbiere) April 2, 2024
“Here’s another one who is damaging Parliament and getting tired of destroying democracy,” according to environmentalist Benjamin Lucas, also on X. Olivier Faure, for his part, attacked Quentin Bataillon on his own arrogance of “going to Hanouna to spit on Barthès while chairing a commission of inquiry into TNT”.
Going to Hanouna to spit on Barthès while chairing a commission of inquiry on TNT, that's even how we recognize them. https://t.co/kMBSfvO3pX
— Olivier Faure (@faureolivier) April 2, 2024
According to the media Politico, the MP was called to order by the leader of his own party following this televised intervention.