Étienne Mougeotte ran the programming of TF1 for twenty years, with Patrick Le Lay: a third or more of the French public in front of his screen, and more than half of television's advertising revenue. He imposed Star Academy, Arthur, Nikos Aliagas. Coming from France Inter and then Europe 1, he had entered journalism by the most classical road. He died in 2021.
The story
Thirty to forty per cent of the audience, more than half of all French television advertising revenue: for twenty years the pair Étienne Mougeotte made with Patrick Le Lay at the head of TF1 decided what France watched in the evening.
Born at La Rochefoucauld on 1 March 1940 — hypokhâgne at the lycée Henri-IV, Sciences Po, the Institut français de presse — Étienne Mougeotte came to journalism by the most orthodox route: Paris-Normandie, France Inter in 1967 as a reporter and Beirut correspondent, the state broadcaster ORTF in 1969, where he joined Philippe Gildas on “Information Première”, Pierre Desgraupes's evening news, then the Europe 1 news desk from 1974 to 1981.
In 1987 Bouygues bought TF1: he became vice-president, in the very year he was found to have throat cancer, from which he recovered. Head of programming from 1989, he brought on Nikos Aliagas, Arthur and Dechavanne, put on Star Academy and Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, and chaired LCI from 1994 to 2007.
Vice-president of France 24, editorial director of the Figaro group, managing director of Radio Classique, chairman of Valeurs actuelles, he died in Paris on 7 October 2021. His stone carries a name and two dates.
The grave
A sober grave, whose inscription is a name and two dates: “Etienne MOUGEOTTE, 1940-2021”. Neither TF1, nor LCI, nor the Figaro, nor Radio Classique. The man who, for twenty years, decided what thirty to forty per cent of French viewers watched in the evening rests beneath three words.
On site, do not miss
An inscription of three elements: “Etienne MOUGEOTTE, 1940-2021”. Nothing of TF1, nothing of LCI, nothing of the twenty years in which he decided what France watched in the evening.
Visitors' questions
Where is Étienne Mougeotte's grave?
In Division 56, avenue de la Chapelle, first row, beneath an inscription of three elements: “Etienne MOUGEOTTE, 1940-2021”. The Division is that of the painter Jacques-Louis David and the writer Raymond Radiguet.
Jacques-Louis DavidWhat part did he play at TF1?
Vice-president from the privatisation of 1987, then head of programming in 1989: he was the man who built the schedule. With Patrick Le Lay he held thirty to forty per cent of the audience and more than half of all French television advertising.
Claude CabanesWhose careers did he make?
Nikos Aliagas, Arthur, Christophe Dechavanne, and the shows that defined French television in the 2000s: Star Academy, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire? He also chaired the news channel LCI, from 1994 to 2007, thirteen years.
Alain DecauxWhat did he do after television?
The press and radio: editorial director of the Figaro group from 2007 to 2012, managing director of Radio Classique from 2012 to 2018, chairman of Valeurs actuelles from 2015 to 2020. He had started out at Paris-Normandie.
Gilles MargaritisAudio guide to Père Lachaise: the best unusual guided tour!
Discover the secrets of the most astonishing tombs
the audio guidefrom€6.99