European Broadcasting Boss Delphine Ernotte Cunci On AI, Streamers & The Fight For Independent Media

EXCLUSIVE: Delphine Ernotte Cunci has a unique view of Europe’s TV scene as both the President of the European Broadcasting Union and CEO of French pubcaster giant France Télévisions.

The EBU is an alliance of Europe’s pubcasters. It collectively handles rights negotiations for events including the Olympics, runs the Eurovision Song Contest, and lobbies on behalf of members with Europe’s top politicians. It also gathers its membership to chew over everything from tech and AI to funding questions.

Deadline managed to get some time in Ernotte Cunci’s diary for an exclusive interview. Ahead of giving a keynote (with her France Télévisions hat on) at Series Mania, she offered a candid take on European TV. The EBU chief addressed everything, from the power of the streamers to the role of the EBU when one of its number, Ukraine, is at war, and why independent media is a cornerstone of democracy.

As a side note, the EBU prefers the more modern ‘public service media’ (PSM) wording to the oft-used ‘public service broadcasting’ to capture the fact its members do more than just TV.

DEADLINE: How does the role of public service media change during times of crisis and uncertainty?

Ernotte Cunci: Our role is the most important in times of crisis. Uncertainty is clearly there [at the moment] and we don’t know what’s going to happen tomorrow or the day after tomorrow. I think our mission is to stand by our communities, our people. Today, we have a strong link with our audience.

For instance, in France, every week, 80% of the population comes to see us on linear TV or on our platform. We’re here for entertainment, we’re here for news, we’re here for everything in people’s daily life. This link is our main asset in these very challenging times. We need to stand by the people by providing independent and trusted news and doing investigative journalism. We do it in France, we’re the only one to have a great investigative team that is independent from every type of outside pressure.

DEADLINE: It seems the pressure on public broadcasters – whether that’s political or financial, or a combination of both – is greater than ever?

Ernotte Cunci: We have the CEO of Ukrainian Public TV in the EBU. We know they need money for weapons, and even with a country at war, Zelensky didn’t decide to cut costs for public TV. But you’re right. In the East, it’s more about political pressures on PSM. In our Western countries, it’s more funding pressures.

DEADLINE: The EBU top brass was in Brussels last week. Are you managing to convince politicians of the need for public service media?

Ernotte Cunci: We took the opportunity to see some commissioners and some Members of the European Parliament. One of my main messages was about support for independent public media because independence is a condition for trust.

Independent public media is not just a question of cultural sovereignty, it’s not a question of soft power. No, it’s a question of national security. It’s a question of power.

We see that Elon Musk is the one who decides half of the [agenda]so we shouldn’t be naive and think that media is just for entertainment. No, communication in a conflict is just as key as [real] weapons.

DEADLINE: Europe’s public service broadcasters were often built on radio and/or linear TV, but the world has moved on. How can they remain relevant?

Ernotte Cunci: In France, our first ‘channel’ is our platform. It’s not the linear.

The only way to keep that link to everybody is to distribute content on various channels and platforms. Of course, we have the linear channel, and it’s still very important today, but it’s going to decrease, and the decrease will be quite fast to be honest.

DEADLINE: In a world of connected TVs with their own widgets and apps and various digital program guides, will public service media get lost in the myriad choices.

Ernotte Cunci: In a business where the all the power and the scale is in the U.S. and Asia, the only way to balance that power is regulation. The European Union has done its job and the rules are there. The question today is are we going to apply the rules?

DEADLINE: Are you concerned AI services are learning models are being built using PSM content?

Ernotte Cunci: AI is both an opportunity and a threat. First, we need to set up standards better. The first question is do we want to feed the AI [machine] with no reward for the work? The answer is no. Do we want to feed the AI with no accuracy at the end of it and no relation to the sources from our brands? The answer is no. We’re asking for proper reward and recognition of our brands. We’re asking for the sources to be quoted.

DEADLINE: Huge amounts are invested in programming across Europe, but funding is under pressure. Is original European content facing a funding crisis?

Ernotte Cunci: I think today, the funding is great, but I’m not sure the trend is good. The likes of Netflix and Disney won’t increase their investment because now they need to look for profitability. There was big growth these last years, and at the same time as that, the money invested in public media has been reducing, and it’s hard time for [commercially-funded traditional] media. I think the overall amount invested in Europe on content is not going to grow. But from my point of view, public media shouldn’t decrease its investment in content, because it is key. Content, technology, and distribution will be the three main words for us in the future if we want to keep that very strong link with our communities.

DEADLINE: Drama in particular has become expensive to the point where even the biggest broadcasters are struggling to finance big projects. What is the answer?

Ernotte Cunci: We have ways to cope with it. The first one is to make alliances among ourselves in Europe, and France Télévisions did so with ZDF and others [through the European Alliance group] and we are commissioning very high-value dramas. The second way is to make agreements with Netflix [and streamers]. We can find agreements with them and share the rewards. We’re not doing the exactly the same job, because we are free whereas they are not. There are a lot of better ways that all of the people investing in fiction can cooperate.

DEADLINE: Is a levy on the international streamers to support the production of local content a workable solution?

Ernotte Cunci: If they invest in drama locally, I’m in favor of that. In France, for instance, they are committed to invest and it’s a great thing. I don’t feel that Netflix and Disney are our main competitors. I think they are actors in a very competitive sector and they have their own issues though. There are now many SVOD platforms and they may see some constraints with concentration in the future. The profitability of those platforms is not so easy to achieve, so there’s a lot of room for cooperation.

Of course, they are very strong and powerful, but not as powerful as another type of media, the social media platforms.

DEADLINE: Let’s talk social media. How can PSM embrace social while also mitigating against the threats it presents?

Ernotte Cunci: We need to be on YouTube, we need to be on TikTok, we need to be on Instagram. There’s no question about using and being on those social media platforms. But the fact is social media is also a way to distribute fake news, to help foreign and bad influences, so it’s also actively promoting polarization in our society.

I think we won’t be as dominant as we were 30 years ago, but we see the difference today where trust levels in public media are very high. It’s very poor in social media.

DEADLINE: What is your hope for the future of Europe’s public service media services?

Ernotte Cunci: My main concern is continuing to be a reference point in the future. Maybe the audience as a whole will decrease, but if people have in mind: ‘Okay, I read this on X and that on Insta, but what is France Télévisions saying about that event?’ and then they come and check with us, I think we are in the right place.

DEADLINE: Eurovision is a good example of Europe’s public service media coming together, how can you harness and grow that, starting this year in Basel, Switzerland?

Ernotte Cunci: The motto of Eurovision is ‘united by music,’ and we need to be united. We have discussions on how can to grow the brand because it’s huge and it’s positive.

The 2025 venue in Basel is tremendous. We have a new Director of Eurovision, Martin Green, and he’s adding a lot to what has been done in the previous years.