Nonce Paolini Dies: Influential French TV Chief Was 75

Nonce Paolini, the former Chairman and CEO of French broadcasting giant TF1 Group, has passed away aged 75.

Le Monde newspaper reported he had died due to cancer.

The influential exec rose through the ranks at TF1, which is France’s largest commercial network, and became CEO in 2007 and added the Chairmanship a year later. Paolini held the post until until 2015 when he retired and was replaced by Giles Pélisson.

In total, he spent more than 30 years with the Bouygues Telecom-owned broadcaster, having first joined in 1993 in a Human Resources role. During his tenure as CEO, TF1 acquired networks such as TMC, oversaw its first push into streaming and launched French versions of formats such as The Voice and Dancing with the Stars, which are still on air today.

“It is with deep sadness that we learned of the death of Nonce Paolini today,” said TF1 in a statement. “The TF1 group teams share the sadness of his family and loved ones in these painful moments, and pay tribute to a leader who left his mark on our group and on French audiovisual media.”

Paolini’s replacement, Pélisson, who is now President of French producers body Unifrance, said: “I am devastated by the death of Nonce who, beyond the professional relationships we had established firstly at Bouygues Telecom, then at TF1 where I I had the pride of succeeding him, had become a friend. I send my warmest thoughts to his wife and daughters.”

Current TF1 CEO Rudolphe Belmer said the French audiovisual sector had “lost a great leader; the TF1 group, a member of his family.”

“I salute the memory of a man who laid the foundations for the transformation of our house,” he added. “All the TF1 teams join me in sending their most sincere condolences to his family and loved ones.”