This article considers the infotainment phenomenon on the basis of objective data and reviews political representation on French television. The author draws on audiovisual archives over a 12-year period (from 1990 to 2002) to show that on French television politics is strongly protected by a set of laws and official and unofficial rules. Entertainment programmes have to comply with electoral constraints, so that at certain times and for various reasons politicians may not be invited. Consequently, although the entertainment phenomenon has been democratized, it is subjected to intentional breaks that are a constant challenge. Yet at present more entertainment than political programmes host politicians, resulting in a gradual legitimization of entertainment in a certain form of political treatment. Finally, the political genre is increasingly turning to exceptional programmes and inclusion in TV news. Politics on television is thus faced with a truly schizophrenic phenomenon, between information/news and entertainment.