Nagui Reveals the Recipe for Public Television to Stand Out in Entertainment

Youtube screenshot

Interesting and rather rare revelation during a parliamentary committee hearing. During his tumultuous hearing at the National Assembly on Wednesday, April 1st, presenter Nagui took advantage of a question asked by the ecologist deputy Sophie Taillé-Polian to reveal the red lines that France Télévisions sets for itself in terms of game shows.

Since the beginning of the hearings, members of the committee investigating the neutrality, operation, and funding of public broadcasting have shown great interest in the entertainment mission of public broadcasting. This Wednesday, facing the presenter of “Don’t Forget the Lyrics,” the opportunity was obvious.

“When you propose products that have not yet been produced, do you offer different products to public service and private channels?” asked the deputy. Nagui’s response? “Regarding the difference between private and public, I have been on both. For example, in a game show, in a rule of the game, it is out of the question in the public service that there is any element of chance, a draw, a wheel that spins and stops on a million. That will never exist,” he replied frankly, thus differentiating programs from private channels such as “Wheel of Fortune” or “Deal or No Deal” from those of public service, such as “Questions for a Champion.”

As he explains, “It’s always about merit, work, knowledge, general culture, heritage that count. These are values that are represented.”

Some may counter with “Intervilles” or “Fort Boyard,” broadcast on France 2. But Nagui sticks to his point and explains, “As for Intervilles, which is a fun game, entertainment, these are values of sports self-improvement, it’s timed, it’s races, it’s a wall of champions, votive festivals, but which correspond to our heritage and our values.”

Nagui Reminds of France TV’s Triptych

“In private television, where I have been, you have to get ratings. And you have to get ratings every minute so everything must be about show, tension, twists,” Nagui acknowledges that “these values can be kept on public service, but there is an expectation on top of that in the private sector where we totally tolerate the fact that a candidate draws an envelope at random. ‘What’s in the envelope? Here, well done, you won, it’s over!'”

“That can never happen on public service,” he reaffirmed in front of the president, the rapporteur, and all the deputies present to question him.

This direct response from the presenter, very different from the rest of this contentious hearing, was actually praised by the commission’s president Jérémie Patrier-Leitus. “Your response was particularly valuable in order to understand what makes public broadcasting unique and what entertainment and game shows should be,” on its channels. An opportunity for Nagui to conclude by recalling the “triptych of public service,” which is “to entertain, educate, inform,” you can put it in whichever order you want. Generally, we say: “inform, cultivate, entertain,” but that’s really what is asked of us.”