French petition seeks to shut down Bollore's news channel CNews

PARIS, Nov 2 (Reuters) - A petition to shut down French news channel CNews, known for its hard line on immigration and crime, has now attracted more than 500,000 signatures on the website of the National Assembly, paving the way for a possible debate on the issue in parliament.

• The petition to "remove CNews from French broadcasting" - which was started on June 10, 2026 - argues that CNews, owned by conservative billionaire Vincent Bollore, is not an information channel but "a propaganda machine".

• It had attracted 553,474 signatures by 1434 GMT on Monday, according to the website.

• Critics notably say CNews'agenda increasingly follows the lines taken by Marine Le Pen's far-right National Rally (RN), from which the channel could benefit if, as polls suggest, Le Pen wins the 2027 Presidential election and fulfils her promise to privatise public broadcasting, which CNews has long criticised.

• Under National Assembly rules, a public debate can be organised in the Assembly if a petition attracts at least 500,000 signatures. A Commission must however 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.