Le Figaro
Figaro, Le
the oldest French daily newspaper; it has been published in Paris since 1826. Before World War II, Le Figaro was owned by F. Coty, a magnate of the perfume industry. After the war, most of its stock was acquired by J. Pruvost, an important industrialist; in 1975 the stock passed to R. Hersant, owner of a number of magazines and provincial newspapers. Le Figaro essentially reflects the views of extreme right-wing monopolistic and anticommunist forces. Circulation, 327,000 (1978).