Medef cuts BFMTV live feed of presidential debate due to LCI exclusivity

The French news channel BFMTV was forced to interrupt its live broadcast of a 2027 presidential election debate organized by Medef after its audio signal was cut. The interruption occurred during a debate featuring seven of the primary candidates for the upcoming election.

Medef confirmed that the decision to cut the signal was made in conjunction with the news channel LCI to prevent what they termed “unauthorized” broadcasting. The employer organization had granted exclusivity for the live broadcast to LCI, which also provided the debate's moderator. While other media outlets are permitted to record and use footage after the event, they were not authorized to broadcast the exchanges live.

BFMTV expressed regret over the interruption, stating that its viewers were deprived of a “major political event.” The channel noted that in previous years, Medef had provided images that were freely accessible to all media outlets, allowing for broader live coverage.