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Christine Ockrent quits post at French international broadcasters

The deputy head of France’s world broadcasting organisation, of which RFI is part, has left the organisation, vowing to pursue a claim of constructive dismissal. Christine Ockrent has been locked in a long and much-publicised battle with chief executive Alain de Pouzilhac.

Olivier Ezratty/Open access
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In an interview with the Le Figaro newspaper, Ockrent insists that she has not resigned because she held a status that meant that she had no contract but that she has put an end to a situation in which, she claims, she was unable to do her job.

She has not been into her offices since March, claiming that de Pouzilhac and his allies have harassed her with accusations of spying and attempts to destroy her reputation.

She will continue action to pursue the company for damages, she says.

In December about 300 of TV channel France 24’s approximately 550 employees voted in favour of a motion of no confidence in Ockrent. Nearly 350 of RFI’s almost 1,000 employees on Tuesday approved a vote of no confidence in de Pouzilhac.

The creation of the Audiovisuel Extérieur de la France (AEF) has been dogged with problems, including strikes and legal challenges at RFI. Although Ockrent worked on thecreation of the group, she fell out with de Pouzilhac over the merger of the editorial teams of France 24 and RFI.

Ockrent’s appointment in 2008 was criticised in some quarters because she is the partner of Bernard Kouchner, who was foreign affairs minister at the time. The credentials of de Pouzilhac, who is a former head of communications group Havas, were questioned because he had no experience in news media.
 

In the Le Figaro interview, Ockrent claims that their relation began to deteriorate as soon as rumours surfaced that Kouchern might lose his seat in the cabinet, which he did in November 2010.

 

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