Who is Martin Ajdari, the new boss of Arcom ?

© Opéra national de Paris/Wikimedia

This Sunday, February 2, Martin Ajdari has succeeded Roch-Olivier Maistre as head of the Regulatory Authority of audiovisual and digital communication (Arcom). A passing of the torch that occurs in a turbulent context, but the new leader seems well equipped to meet the challenges that await him.

Experience in public audiovisual

« I know him very well and have known him for a long time. He is an excellent choice, he is competent with very solid experience », commented Roch-Olivier Maistre about his successor in Le Figaro. Moreover, Martin Ajdari was proposed by Emmanuel Macron as the new president of the organization, before being approved by Parliament.

Born on December 11, 1958 in Paris, Ajdari graduated from the ENA in 1995. And the least we can say is that he has a very well-stocked CV. He notably held the position of Deputy Director General of Radio France between 2004 and 2009. Between 2010 and 2014, he was Deputy Director General for Resources and Secretary General of France Télévisions, giving him robust experience in the public audiovisual sector.

His career took a turn in 2015, when he was appointed head of the General Directorate of Media and Cultural Industries (DGMIC) within the Ministry of Culture and Communication. Since 2020, he has served as Deputy Director General of the Paris Opera, a position he left to take up his new duties at Arcom.

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A choice that is therefore not surprising: Martin Ajdari was not only a candidate for the presidency of Radio France in 2014, he had also been tipped to head the Superior Council of the Audiovisual (CSA) in 2019.

© C8

A pivotal year for Arcom

It is precisely Arcom that has replaced the CSA since 2022. «Arcom has evolved a lot. It is no longer a policeman, but a real regulatory authority, recognized for its action and its ability to support changes in the audiovisual sector. We work with publishers in a hypercompetitive context, ensuring both their independence and their economic model. Our job is to ensure a balance between innovation, diversity and responsibility “, Roch-Olivier Maistre recently told Le Point. The regulator's authority is also extended to online platforms.

Martin Ajdari will have to manage some hot topics. In addition to the new numbering of DTT channels, C8 and NRJ12 should leave the television field at the end of the month. They have contested this decision before the Council of State.

• Martin Ajdari succeeds Roch-Olivier Maistre at the head of Arcom, the audiovisual regulatory authority in France.
• This graduate of the ENA has a well-stocked CV, with solid experience in the public audiovisual sector.
• He is facing some hot issues, including the scheduled end of C8 and NRJ12 on DTT.

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