Marie-Christine Saragosse

CEO of France Médias Monde

Born on 24 March 1960 in Algeria, Marie-Christine Saragosse spent her childhood in Provence, before entering Sciences Po in Paris.

Graduate of Sciences Po and the École des Hautes Etudes en Sciences Sociales (School of Advanced Studies in the Social Sciences), and former student of ENA (National School of Administration), Marie-Christine Saragosse began her career working in the public broadcasting sector, first at the French Ministry of Communication (SJTI — Legal And Technical Information Department) and then in the office of the Minister Delegate for Francophonie, where she was responsible for France’s external broadcasting initiatives (overseeing Radio France Internationale and then-called TV5, among others).

She continued in this role at the French Ministry of Foreign Affairs, before joining TV5 in 1997 at the request of its CEO, Patrick Imhaus. She became Deputy Managing Director in 1998 and Vice-Chairwoman in 2001.

After two years as head of the Department for Cultural Cooperation and the French Language at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, she was recalled to the General Management of TV5MONDE in May 2008, as part of the reform of France’s external broadcasting system, which separated the positions of Chairman of the Administrative Board and General Management of the channel.

Her first novel ‘Temps Ensoleillé avec fortes rafales de vent’ (Sunny Weather with Strong Gusts of Wind) was published in August 2012 (ed. Erick Bonnier).

On 7 October 2012, she was appointed Chairwoman and CEO of the France Médias Monde group (formerly called “Audiovisuel Extérieur de la France“), which includes the 24/7 news channel France 24, and the radio stations RFI and Monte Carlo Doualiya. In April 2018, she was reappointed by the Conseil Supérieur de l’Audiovisuel (CSA), the former French broadcasting regulator, on the basis of her track record as head of France Médias Monde for a further five-year term. On 11 January 2023, she was reappointed for a five-year term by the Autorité de Régulation de la Communication Audiovisuelle et Numérique (ARCOM, the new French broadcasting regulator as the result of the merger between the CSA and Hadopi).

She was made a Knight of the Legion of Honour (Chevalier de la Légion d’Honneur) on 31 December 2012 and she was promoted to the rank of Officer of the National Order of Merit (Officier de l’ordre national du Mérite) on 15 November 2016. On 4 January 2021, she was promoted to Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters (Commandeur des Arts et des Lettres).

Marie-Christine Saragosse is also a member of the Administrative Boards of AFP, Théâtre de la Ville and TV5MONDE.