France gets its first black TV presenter after Chirac pressure

John Lichfield:

Under pressure from President Jacques Chirac, the main French television channel, TF1, has appointed a black journalist as "substitute" presenter of the country's most-watched news bulletin.

From July, Harry Roselmack, 32, will become the first non-white person to present a prime-time, mainstream television news programme on France's most-watched channel, TF1.

During the rioting by multiracial suburban gangs of young people in November last year, French television companies were criticised for their failure to present an ethnically diverse picture of French society.

Although journalists of Arab or African origin, such as Roselmack, have presented the news on minor channels or out of prime time, the main news bulletins have been an all-white preserve.

This was said to reinforce the sense of alienation felt by black and Arab youths in poor, French suburbs.

After the riots, President Chirac urged all the French media, and especially television companies, to make greater effort to hire journalists from ethnic minorities.

TF1 said it had hired Roselmack to respond to the President's appeal but also because "he is a very good journalist".

Black TV newsman is French first