BFM Paris Ile-de-France: the local channel has closed its doors

After more than eight years in operation, BFM Paris Île-de-France closed its doors at 11:59 pm on March 14, 2025. The channel's closure, prompted by persistent financial difficulties and a lack of audience, took place amidst almost general indifference. This marks the end of a medium that aspired to be a benchmark in local news for the people of the Paris region.

It's now over for BFM Paris Île-de-France as of this Friday, March 14. Launched in 2016, BFM Paris Île-de-France has accumulated losses of 2 to 3 million euros every year since its creation. Despite a strategic repositioning initiated two years ago, the channel was still forecasting losses of 1.9 million euros by 2025. For the new management of the CMA CGM group, these figures made it impossible to achieve a sustainable economic equilibrium. However, Nicolas de Tavernost, vice-president of CMA CGM's media division, assured us thatno further closures are planned.

A local station that duplicated the work of BFMTV

One of the arguments put forward to justify this decision was that the content of BFM Paris Île-de-France duplicated that of BFMTV, the group's national channel. This redundancy, coupled with an insufficient audience, sealed the fate of the Paris branch. The channel employed 27 journalists on permanent contracts and 5 advertising staff. In addition, there were a number of fixed-term contracts, freelancers and other employees whose future remains uncertain, despite assurances that priority would be given to internal mobility.

Strike action and concern for the future

The closure of BFM Paris Île-de-France has provoked strong internal reactions. Last December, strike action was launched by the SNJ and CGT unions of the RMC BFM-CMA Média group, following the announcement of the closure. Voted for by 87% at a general meeting, the strike reflected employees' concerns about the future of the group's other local branches. In particular, the union had demanded "assurances that no other local channel will close in the next two years, and that the payroll will not be reduced", as Jean-Marc Morandini reported.

A final farewell in a light tone

Despite the sadness of the closure, the BFM Paris Île-de-France team chose to bow out with a sense of humor. The channel broadcast a final blooper as a farewell, thanking its viewers for their loyalty. "BFM Paris Île-de-France, c'est terminé... On se quitte avec le sourire grâce à un dernier bêtisier, merci infiniment pour votre fidélité ❤" (BFM Paris Île-de-France, it's over... We're parting with a smile thanks to one last blooper, thank you so much for your loyalty ❤), could be read on social networks, particularly Twitter.

This disappearance leaves a void in the Ile-de-France media landscape, and highlights the challenges faced by local channels in the face of increasingly stringent economic imperatives.