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Families of French hostages held by terrorists sue broadcaster claiming live coverage put lives at risk

By PA Media Lawyer

Families of the hostages of a terrorist who killed four people in a kosher supermarket in Paris are suing a French broadcaster over its live coverage of the attack, saying it put lives in danger.

Agnes Thibault-Lecuivre, Paris prosecutor's office spokeswoman, said that a preliminary investigation had been opened into the coverage by BFM television, the Associated Press reported.

France's broadcast watchdog reprimanded BFM and several other television and radio stations for their coverage of the supermarket hostage-taking and attack on satirical newspaper Charlie Hebdo in January.

BFM and other broadcasters revealed in live reports that hostages were hiding in the kosher market.

The watchdog and the families' lawyers say that could have endangered the hostages if the gunman had found them.

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