France Télévisions names digital & marketing exec Antonio Grigolini as documentary chief

Antonio Grigolini

France Télévisions has appointed the former chief of its young adult digital service Slash to lead its documentary output.

Antonio Grigolini, who replaces Catherine Alvaresse, becomes become director of documentaries and will be in charge of amplifying the diversity of the group’s documentary offer.

Grigolini first joined France TV network France 3 in 2006 and led on brand strategy. In 2012, he moved to France Télévisions digital department to take care of its social output, before becoming head of digital programming and content.

Catherine Alvaresse

In 2018, he was handed responsibility for the launch of FranceTV Slash, which he ran for two years. Since 2020, Grigolini has been director of programming & editorial organisation for the group’s non-linear offering, which includes France.tv, FranceTVSlash and Okoo.

Grigolini replaces Catherine Alvaresse, who left last month, reportedly because of disagreements around editorial priorities.

Producers had been aware of internal battles, one insider told TBI, and there were concerns that France Télévisions would look for lighter shows.

The choice of Grigolini as new documentary boss was, according to France TV, suggested by Anne Holmes, the public broadcaster’s director of drama who was promoted to also become programmes director a year ago.

Delphine Ernotte Cunci, France Télévisions’ president, and Stéphane Sitbon-Gomez, programming director, praised Alvaresse for her commitment to documentaries over the past seven years.

Alvaresse had first worked at France 2 before running France Télévisions’ joint group documentary department. She was well regarded among doc makers in France and around the world, with recent success on Wagner Putin’s Army and Enfants De Daech, Les Damnés D La Guerre (aka Iraq’s Lost Generation).

Prior to her most recent role at France TV, the exec was head of documentaries & cultural shows at France 2, having spent five years as deputy director of specialist factual at ARTE France until 2016.