TV Powerhouse—Marc-Olivier Fogiel - producer/talk show host - Brief Article - Interview

THEY CALL HIM "THE PIT BULL"

At 32, Marc-Olivier Fogiel is one of the fastest-rising stars in French media. He is a producer who currently hosts two television programs--the weekly late-night interview show On ne Peut pas Plaire a Tout le Monde (You Can't Please Everyone), and the monthly Un An de Plus (One Year Later). And each Saturday morning he can be heard on his weekly radio show Vous Ecoutez la Tele (You're Listening to the TV).

BRAD GOLDFARB: You're both a television producer and the host of your own programs. Do you prefer one role or the other?

MARC-OLIVIER FOGIEL: For me it's the same job. I can't see myself hosting a show that I wouldn't produce, because I feel like the two go together. It's all part of the same chain.

BG: How long have you been a host?

MF: Five years. But before that I was preparing and producing programs for other hosts. I went to work [at a radio station] when I was 16.

BG: How do you feel about radio versus TV?

MF: As a consumer I find radio more powerful, since it does not require images to visualize things. On the other hand, [success in] television flatters the ego a little more.

BG: You're known for having a very direct interview style.

MF: Yes, some would say aggressive. Outside of work I am much more laid-back, whereas on television I become much more of a leader.

BG: Is your youth an advantage?

MF: Being only 32 has allowed me to distinguish myself but because I look young they might also say, "How can this guy ask such questions?"

BG: What do you see as the biggest difference between French and American television?

MF: We say in France that journalists in the U.S. are more pugnacious. Perhaps it means I won't last, but I won't be one of those hosts who's constantly saying to his guests "That's great!" Me, when I receive a guest who's done a film that isn't good, I'll say so.

Brad Goldfarb is Interview's Managing Editor.

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