In France, a petition to shut down a 24-Hour news channel gathers one million signatures One million citizens demand accountability from an out-of-control channel, but the Assembly chooses to turn a blind eye

By a narrow majority, MPs on the Cultural Affairs and Education Committee voted against organizing a debate in the main chamber regarding a petition calling for the revocation of CNews' DTT broadcast license. While the legislative branch lacks the legal authority to halt a broadcaster's operations, this petition - backed by over one million signers - aimed to spark a democratic debate on the enforcement of laws governing Arcom and freedom of expression.

In a tight committee vote, the National Rally (RN), Union of Rights for the Republic (UDR), The Republicans (LR), and Horizons groups voted to table the initiative without further action. Conversely, all left-wing parties as well as MoDem supported holding a debate at the Palais Bourbon, while the presidential Ensemble for the Republic (EPR) group split its vote. This decision to stifle discussion in the National Assembly sparked sharp reactions on social media. In response to the channel's official statement, numerous internet users intervened to clarify the issues at stake, pointing out that the initiative did not seek to censor a media outlet outright, but rather challenged the allocation of a public broadcast frequency to a channel accused of repeatedly violating its regulatory obligations.

The petition's surge in public support accelerated dramatically following a racist attack in Trappes on October 23. It surpassed 500,000 signatures on November 2 before reaching the one-million mark just a few days later. Historically, of the four petitions to cross the half-million signature threshold in the French Parliament, only the one opposing the Duplomb bill led to a debate in the chamber; the others were shelved on the grounds that they duplicated legislative proposals already under consideration.

In a scathing op-ed, the petition's creator, Lucas Massoni, describes CNews as a propaganda engine rather than a legitimate news channel. He points to the network's unprecedented disciplinary record: 27 formal warnings, €630,000 in cumulative fines, and more than 50 sanctions over 12 years. The text condemns the repeated prime-time broadcast of racist remarks, targeted attacks on public figures such as Aya Nakamura and Rima Hassan, historical revisionism regarding Marshal Pétain, as well as outright misinformation on abortion and climate change.

The author stresses that a line was crossed in late March 2026, when an on-air guest compared the newly elected mayor of Saint-Denis, Bally Bagayoko, to a monkey live on air, prompting the Paris prosecutor's office to open an investigation for public racist insult. According to Massoni, Arcom has demonstrated utter powerlessness by letting the far right dominate prime-time slots while relegating opposition voices to late-night broadcasts. He also argues that financial penalties are ineffective against the multi-billion-euro fortune of owner Vincent Bolloré, for whom such fines are merely a cost of doing business. Citing the American precedent of Fox News, the petition's creator calls for the immediate revocation of CNews's DTT license to prevent a repeat offender from continuing to exploit a public broadcast frequency.

Fortunately, tabling the petition does not permanently close the door to political action. Members of Parliament still have legislative tools at their disposal should they choose to act, including introducing a bill that incorporates the petition's demands. Democratic institutions thus offer alternative avenues to demand accountability and serve as a reminder that using a public broadcast frequency comes with strict responsibilities.