Over there if I am there

Over there if I am there is an emission of radio, produced and animated by Daniel Mermet, diffused daily (of the Monday to Friday between 15:00 and 16:00) on France Inter.

This emission is mainly made up of reports. Approaching many topics (company, voyages, fights, media…), this emission tries to give a different lighting to the topicality, as well local as international by calling on those which have less media exposure. It is qualified by its organizer of “modest and brilliant”. Its partiality, assumed by its team, gives to daily listen to an atypical emission in the French radiophonic landscape.

Topicality

With the re-entry 2006, the direction of France Inter shifted the emission with the beach 15:00 - 16:00 (instead of 17:00 -18 H). This provision was fought by Daniel Mermet because it would involve a loss of audience from approximately 50%. The listeners mobilized themselves to support the emission and a petition In line was launched on June 16th, 2006 against the displacement, interpreted like a resumption in political hand the day before the elections of 2007. The course of the 200.000 signatures was exceeded, on July 9th. the relegation of the emission made lose 200.000 listeners compared to the audience which had “Over there” at 5 p.m. is 500.000 listeners.

On its side, the direction of France Inter denied such a will. In an emission diffused on Saturday, July 15, 2006 in the emission “the First Capacity” on France Culture (another station of Radio France), the director of the programs of France Inter, Frederic Schlesinger, confirms the displacement of the emission while denying with this initiative any political character.

Daniel Mermet made of many allusions and mocking remarks in comment of the reports on this decision, in particular at the time of the series of emission on the Afghanistan.

The emission

The social movements, the threats on the Public services, the patients, the Prostitute S, the life in Prison, Psychiatric asylum, the Altermondialisme, GMO, the Nanotechnologie S are some topics approached by the emission. It usually opens by a diffusion of the messages received on the answering machine, where the listeners express their opinions, their dissensions on the subjects passed during the preceding emissions, their angers or their enthusiasm, or react to the topicality.

The emission monthly accommodates journalists of the diplomatic Monde who come to speak about the subjects tackled in the number in the course of publication. Daniel Mermet also carries out emissions abroad, in South America, in Dubai etc He does not scorn to change topic and reads sometimes erotic texts.

The team

Associate producer : Daniel Mermet
Realizer : Yann Chouquet
Second realizer : Khoi Guyen
Assistant of production: Pascale Pascariello
Reporters (of yesterday and today) : Giv Anquetil, Renaud Lambert, Antoine Chao, Yann Chouquet, Sylvie Coma, Olivia Gesbert, Francesco Giorgini, Claire Hauter, Sonia Kronlund, Sophie the Knight, Christelle Loigerot, Aude Merlin, Pascale Pascariello, Herve Ladle, Anne Riou, François Ruffin, Sylvain Savolainen, Thierry Scharf, Sophie Simonot, Dillah Teibi, Zoe To vary, Emmanuelle Walter…
Assembler : Raphaël Mouterde
Responsible for the responder : Christophe Imbert

Conflicts

The team of Là-bas if I am there is not free from conflicts, attest some the charges reported by Acrimed carried against its organizer and producing Daniel Mermet by Joelle Levert and the trade unions of France-Inter in November - December 2003 then by Thierry Scharf and Claire Hauter accompanied by the same trade unions in September 2004.

According to Daniel Mermet in his last answer of September 29th, 2004, “ it is not a question of a conflict opposing a large unpleasant chief to innocent precarized victims, but quite simply of an insufficient budget. The cause of this crisis is, and null there in addition. ”

The site Acrimed.org covered these conflicts and in December 2003 in these terms was defended some: “ the particular place occupied in the media landscape by the emission “Over there if I” am diffused there on France Inter does not justify that one overlooks the charges carried against his organizer and producer, even if, in this case, the refusal to keep silent itself does not go without a waste great feeling. ” on which the listeners can leave their messages: impressions following last the emission, supports or reproaches, calls citizens or social… The organizer leaves a great place to these interventions at the beginning of emission, which they are positive or negative. Regularly, an emission is devoted in its entirety to the “responder”.

Friends of Over there if I am there

In 2005, Daniel Mermet proposes that its listeners meet locally to discuss in a convivial way. The “ Repaires of the Friends of Over there if I am there” make it possible to the listeners to meet, a little everywhere in France. They are regularly announced with the antenna, by the responder or Daniel Mermet itself. The list is also available on Internet.

Notes & references

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