By Michel Rose
PARIS, June 15 (Reuters) - France's media regulator on Monday ordered rolling news channel CNews to comply with rules on pluralism and diversity of opinion, putting the ultra-conservative channel owned by billionaire Vincent Bollore one step away from disciplinary action.
The channel, which critics have likened to the U.S.' Fox News for its opinion-driven format and polarising tone, has been accused by media watchdogs and opponents of near-constant coverage of immigration and security, which they say fuels far-right narratives.
Media regulator Arcom issued the order after reviewing hours of airtime last year in a probe triggered by a complaint from international media watchdog Reporters Without Borders, which praised the decision in a statement.
Speaking to reporters on Monday, Arcom head Martin Ajdari said its review of coverage in March 2025 showed "structurally unbalanced", one-sided output that left little room for opposing viewpoints.
He stressed that the regulator's role was not to police opinions, but to ensure media outlets showed viewers a diversity of views on each topic.
CNews contested the decision and said in a statement it planned to challenge it in the courts.
"Committed to freedom of expression, pluralism of debate, and the independence of its editorial line, CNews considers this decision to be an unjustified infringement of these fundamental democratic principles," it said in a statement.
The move comes less than a year before a presidential election in which far-right candidates are frontrunners.
France's 1986 broadcasting law requires television and radio outlets to ensure "honest, independent and pluralistic" coverage, including a diversity of viewpoints, particularly in news and current affairs programmes.
Almost uniquely in Europe, French broadcasters are required to count politicians' speaking time and ensure it broadly reflects recent election results and opinion polls.
The French media regulator also served a formal notice to public broadcaster Radio France last week, saying it had underrepresented the far-right National Rally in its programmes. It can impose fines and ultimately strip a channel of its broadcasting licence.
(Reporting by Michel Rose; additional reporting by Makini Brice; Editing by Jan Harvey)
