BFM TV ups budget after seeing off LCI threat

Having seen off the threat of a new free-to-air competitor in the shape of TF1’s LCI, French news channel BFM TV has committed to raise its annual budget from €55 million to €70 million.

Speaking to press yesterday, channel boss Alan Weill said that if media regulator the CSA had ruled that LCI should be allowed to migrate to free-to-air on the digital-terrestrial TV platform, BFM TV would have been forced to cut its budget to about €40 million. Instead, it now plans to hire an additional 25 journalists this year, according to Weill.

Weill said he was convinced that LCI would not close as a result of the CSA’s decision, despite the threat from TF1 chief executive Nonce Paolini that it could.