Key facts
- The petition to remove CNews from French broadcasting was started on June 10, 2026.
- Under National Assembly rules, 500,000 signatures allow a public debate, subject to a commission review.
- CNews is owned by conservative billionaire Vincent Bollore.
- CNews went from 1% market share at its 2017 launch to profitability last year.
A petition calling for the removal of French news channel CNews from broadcasting had gathered 553,474 signatures on the National Assembly website by 1434 GMT on Monday, November 2, 2026, Reuters reported. The petition was started on June 10, 2026.
The petition argues that CNews, owned by conservative billionaire Vincent Bollore, is not an information channel but a propaganda machine. Critics say the channel's agenda increasingly follows the lines taken by Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally, from which the channel could benefit if, as polls suggest, Le Pen wins the 2027 presidential election and carries out her promise to privatise public broadcasting, which CNews has long criticised.
Under National Assembly rules, a public debate can be organised in the Assembly once a petition attracts at least 500,000 signatures. A commission must first review the petition and decide whether a debate can take place. CNews could not be immediately reached for comment.
CNews rose from 1% market share at its 2017 launch to profitability last year, when it became France's most-watched free-to-air news channel. Viewership has slipped this year as the Iran war has aided rivals, but its influence endures.