Jean-Pierre Pernaut, born April 8, 1950 in Amiens, in the Somme department, is a news anchor and broadcaster on French television. He is more widely known by the initials JPP. Presenter of the 1:00 p.m. newscast for the TF1 station since 1988, he is, through the combination of an avuncular personality and an inimitable way, become one of the most popular presenters in France. Also editor of the newsletter, Pernaut has long promoted a deliberate policy of trivial content in each edition, betting on articles relating to local culture or traditional crafts towards the end of the broadcast.
This original approach won the hearts of a regular audience of seven to eight million viewers for the 1 p.m. edition, a considerable figure for a program airing at lunchtime. He is also the longtime presenter of “How Much Does It Cost?” », a monthly program dealing with the evolution of consumer prices on TF1. Since 1988, Pernaut has also sat on the board of directors of the TF1 Group as a representative of the company’s employees. But how much are Jean-Pierre Pernaut’s salary and fortune worth?
Jean-Pierre Pernaut spent his childhood in Quevauvillers. He is the son of Jean and Françoise Pernaut, rally driver and pharmacist respectively. His first contact with the world of journalism is very early. In primary school, he participates with his teacher in the creation of a small newspaper, which he distributes with his classmates to all the villagers. His primary and secondary studies take place in the city where he was born, namely Amiens. He first attended the school complex (now Lycée Louis-Thuillier), then the private school Saint-Martin d’Amiens. With a sporty temperament, the young Pernaut was interested in various sports, including field hockey, skiing and karting. He was also 3 times champion of France in field hockey. His vocation was born in 3rd grade, after an internship at the headquarters of the daily Courrier Picard. As a teenager, he joined the Graduate School of Journalism in Lille.
The case of Jean-Pierre Pernaut shows to what extent the first years at school can be decisive in an individual’s professional career. It shows the interest there is in taking care of the teaching provided and the activities carried out in primary school classes. This project, at first sight, eccentric of this teacher who wanted to take his pupils to turn into journalists, produced one of the greatest French talents in journalism. This passion was then reinforced with the internship carried out in a press house. Having discovered very early on what he was passionate about, JPP, as his close friends call him, worked relentlessly to realize his childhood dream.
Young Picard immersed himself in the world of work in 1972 after obtaining his diploma in journalism at the École Supérieure de Journalisme de Lille. The young graduate then joined the local branch of the Office de Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (ORTF). After the dissolution of the ORTF, he joined TF1 where the director at the time, Christian Bernadac, offered him to present the 11 p.m. news bulletin. He tackled this task from 1974 to 1978, then became co-presenter of the 1 p.m. news alongside Yves Mourousi. From this date, he was entrusted with the management of various services such as the Tourism, Reportage and Investigations sections. A few months later, he was offered to take the reins of the show. A perfectionist, the young journalist carries out an in-depth grooming of the news bulletin. The new editorial line places greater emphasis on the regions of France.
Thanks to a dynamic network of local correspondents who relay information from the various French departments, this reorientation has been a huge success and the audience for the show has experienced dazzling growth with a record 6.5 million viewers. Having become very popular, Jean-Pierre Pernaut was awarded the 1996, 1999 and 2003 editions of the 7 d’or, a ceremony rewarding the best talents in television. In 1991, he created the program “How much does it cost? », a magazine that not only follows consumer prices, but also denounces the excesses of the consumer society. The year 2002 saw the accession of the favorite TV presenter of the French to the post of assistant director of information for the TF1 channel.
On the hobby side, Jean-Pierre Pernaut is a car and theater enthusiast. He participated several times in car races and got down to writing plays, including Piège à Matignon , a play that can be found on the boards of many provincial theatres.
With a daily audience of more than 6 million people, Jean-Pierre Pernaut undoubtedly holds the European record in terms of programs broadcast at midday. His channel, TF1 pays him back very well, since the host is, with a monthly salary of 50,000 euros, one of the best paid presenters in France. The only ones to have reached such heights were Claire Chazal and Patrick Poivre d’Arvor. This salary at first glance mirobolant largely justifies the longevity of JPP in his position. Indeed, the Picard has been in this position since February 22, 1988. He has been able to breathe new life and deeply transform a program that once did not attract many people. His very particular style, his great mastery of the news and his personality ended up convincing an impressive number of viewers to the point of breaking audience records.
A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since the revelation of Jean-Pierre Pernaut’s salary and fortune on the media. Many people have found this salary exorbitant, but it is very unfair. Why couldn’t a journalist receive 50,000 € per month, while film actors and footballers receive more than 10 times that sum? Why would it be indecent for a technician to receive such remuneration? Jean-Pierre Pernaut’s salary is well deserved, because it comes from a job well done. He didn’t get it by pirouetting or kissing anyone’s boots. TF1, remember, is now a private channel and as a private company, it cannot pay an employee at such a level if the latter does not allow it to earn higher amounts. All the criticisms of the journalist’s salary are therefore unnecessary, because the latter did not take a vow of poverty by choosing to work for this television channel.
Jean-Pierre Pernaut has no other sources of income than his salary. Contrary to what is said on the web, the journalist is not sewn with louis d’or. He certainly earns his living quite comfortably, but he does not have a fabulous fortune. Everything that is said is generally pure fantasy. These assumptions are generally made by people and websites wishing to attract traffic by creating buzz. Passionate about journalism and culture, the Picard focuses most of his time and energy on his work as a presenter. Far from these media men addicted to money, Jean-Pierre Pernaut is, above all, motivated by his passion and his pronounced taste for excellence. His actions are primarily intended to bring added value to the profession of presenter, but that’s not all. If he had contented himself with a slavish reading of the information presented to him, he would not be there. By dint of self-sacrifice, he succeeded in transforming a sluggish news bulletin into a real saga that keeps all his listeners in suspense.
Very modest, Jean-Pierre Pernaut never had delusions of grandeur. He always kept his feet on the ground and knew how to welcome with a smile all that life offered him. Megalomania not being his forte, he did not prostitute himself by yielding to the lure of gain. Far from fluttering between different channels and outbidding, he remained faithful to the company which knew how to give him a chance and promote him. He could have left TF1 to go monetize his talents on other antennas, but he never did, because the love of a job well done is the compass that has guided him throughout these years. As proof, he has no income other than his salary and has not, like other journalists, turned into a wheeler-dealer firing on all cylinders.
Fortune may have smiled on Jean-Pierre Pernaut, but money is not what made him run. This staggering salary of 50,000 euros, which stirs up all the lusts and makes so much saliva flow, is amply deserved. Le Picard is resolutely committed to the path of excellence and has enabled the chain that employs him to make generous profits. Remember that this journalist was not born with a golden spoon in his mouth, but that he had to work hard to achieve this result. Jean-Pierre Pernaut is proof that self-sacrifice and a culture of excellence can make it possible to reach the highest peaks.