Yann-Antony Noghès: "My dream was to become a journalist"

Experience, plans, coming back to Monaco… The Monegasque journalist and producer opened up to Monaco Tribune.

“If you want something done, give it to someone who’s really busy”. That’s Yann-Antony Noghès’ motto. Back in the Principality for six years with his wife and their daughters after several years in Brussels, the journalist and producer has built up a lot of experience.

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After five years in the European Parliament’s news department, followed by ten years as a correspondent for BFM Business and BFM TV, he is now the presenter of three programmes in France, Belgium and Monaco,: “La Faute à l’Europe?” (Europe’s Fault?) on France Info, “Coûte que Coûte” (Whatever the Cost) on RTL-TVI and “19h Dimanche” (Sunday 7pm) on Monaco Info, respectively. But his biggest project took shape in 2005.

“Making meaningful documentaries”

“My dream was to become a journalist; then once I became a journalist I wanted to become a producer (…) My brother Alexandre Rougier and I set up a company called Check Productions, in Brussels and Monaco. (…) We have eight documentaries in production at the moment, we work with channels all over the world, it’s great,” says the producer.

Their documentaries and programmes are broadcast on French, Belgian and American channels, dealing with in-depth topics: “We get a tremendous kick out of making our documentaries, we try to make them meaningful.” For instance, we made a documentary on the history of the Grand Prix, which went out on TF1. We also went behind the scenes at European summits, and that one was broadcast on France 2, then in Germany, Spain, Belgium, Ireland…”

But Yann-Antony Noghès has no intention of resting on his laurels. He still has many projects up his sleeve. Among them, a documentary on Prince Albert I, which is scheduled to premier in February, and promises to show the Sovereign from a new angle.

The producer is of course continuing his groundwork on Europe and its attempts to regulate GAFAMs, European defence and European values, looking at the LGBT issue in Hungary and Poland.

“When we do things in Monaco, they’re bound to be exceptional”

Back in Monaco for the past six years, Yann-Antony Noghès says he is very attached to the Principality. “I spend two days a week in Paris and Brussels. Every time I leave here and head for somewhere cold, I know what I’m leaving behind. And when I come home, I’m well aware of what I’m coming back to,” says the producer.

Surprisingly, one of his fondest memories of journalism in Monaco dates back to the first lockdown. “It was a really fantastic experience – he says – The “Monaco and Covid-19″ programme was 47 days non-stop and from a human point of view, I had the feeling we were helping to maintain social interaction at a time when everyone was locked up at home. We felt really useful, we were fully engaged with a community, we played our part. (…) Geneviève Berti, director of the Monaco Info channel, found herself in a tough situation: because of COVID, she no longer had staff and couldn’t go out in the field. So we had to rethink her news bulletin, and in the end we were able to turn a difficulty into an opportunity. The programme that came out of it was more dynamic, more modern, more impactiful and more popular. That’s what Monaco is about.”

When we do things, by definition they’re different from what’s done elsewhere and they’re bound to be special and exceptional.

Very enthusiastic about this extraordinary experience in the Principality, Yann-Antony Noghès adds: “It’s like the Grand Prix: we didn’t have enough room to create a state of the art Formula 1 circuit. But Monaco wanted to have its own race, so, taking into account all the obstacles and constraints they created one using the streets of the Principality, and it turned out to be the most beautiful Grand Prix in the world. So we went from not being big enough to have a real circuit, to becoming the motor sports capital of the world.. That’s one of the hallmarks of Monaco: when we do things, they’re bound to be different from what’s done elsewhere and they’re bound to be special and exceptional.”

Always on the go between Monaco, Brussels and Paris, Yann-Antony Noghès pursues his passion for journalism both on the air and behind the cameras. Wherever he is, the goal remains the same: to tell stories that are meaningful.