De Pouzilhac quits AEF, French external media faces reorganisation

Alain de Pouzilhac, the president of France’s external media organisation, the AEF, which groups together news channel France 24 and radio service RFI, has been forced to tender his resignation.

De Pouzilhac told employees in an email that the state, as the AEF’s shareholder, had indicated its wish for a new president of the organisation.

De Pouzilhac’s departure follows a rejection by the French culture ministry of his plan to combine the editorial leadership of France 24 and RFI.

A report by former Radio France chief Jean-Paul Cluzel has recommended the creation of a new organisation to replace the AEF based on separation of the editorial functions of the two services. It has also recommended the exit of the AEF from the multinational ownwership structure of French international culture channel TV5 Monde and its replacement as French shareholder by public broadcaster France Télévisions.