French commercial broadcaster TF1 has named Thierry Thuillier as CEO of its news channel LCI.
Thuillier will take over the role as of August 16, working alongside deputy CEO Jean-François Mulliez.
Thuillier, who began his career as a journalist, was director of France 2 between 2013-15 before joining Canal+ Group as director of sports. He joined Eléphant & Cie at the start of this year to develop new magazine and talk-show programmes.
Catherine Nayle, deputy CEO for news at TF1, said that Thuillier’s arrival marked a new stage of development for the channel on the country’s free digital-terrestrial platform with the launch of new digital services.
TF1 won a five-year battle to move LCI from the struggling DTT pay TV platform to free-to-air earlier this month when the French Conseil d’État approved a decision by media regulator the CSA to approve the change.
The Conseil d’État rejected a request to move entertainment channel Paris Première to the free platform.
