There is “no need to go to a newsstand to buy l’Équipe” on Tuesday: the daily is not going to be there, according to Jérôme Lefilliâtre of LIBÉRATION. At the request of its unions, the writers went on strike Monday night “preventing the publication of the journal.” The strike comes at a vital time for l’Équipe, with the Paris St. Germain vs. Chelsea elimination match in the Champions League on Tuesday representing “sales of a possible 250,000 copies now out the window.” The unions have “several grievances” with l’Équipe CEO Cyril Linette, who has been in office for less than a year. The two principal grievances being: “layoffs and the removal of the editorial offices” at the newspaper, announced in December, and the “employment protection plan” presented on Monday, which will affect l’Équipe 21, the group’s TV channel. The plan does not affect permanent employees, it “affects temps, freelancers and occasional workers.” Those affected represent “roughly 20% of the active workers” at l’Équipe 21. So the channel will have to operate with “about 100 people” compared to “around 200” right now, according to Linette. A voluntary retirement plan is “also being offered to those who want to leave” because of the changes.
TAKING IN WATER: L’Équipe 21, launched in ’12 with the ambition of becoming the principal asset of the group, “has become a burden due to its poor audience (0.6% market share last year).” Linette said, “L’Équipe 21 has accrued heavy losses, in the order of €20 million ($22.3M) per year. At the current pace, the channel will not be functional in less than 20 years.” The reorganization of L’Équipe 21 “follows the editorial overhaul.” Originally planned as a news channel, it now broadcasts “more and more competitions, mainly sports ignored by Canal+, beIN Sports and others.” According to management the channel “needs to have less people on it, and buy more TV rights, with the same budget” of €35M ($39M) (LIBÉRATION, 2/16).
