France

[FR] Publication of Work Statements for the Public- sector Channels for Terrestrially-broadcast Television

IRIS 2002-6:1/18

Amélie Blocman

Légipresse

Terrestrially-broadcast digital television is supposed to be starting up before the end of the year, but a few adjustments to the relevant regulations are still required. Thus, just hours before the Jospin government stood down, the work statements for the public-sector channels for terrestrially-broadcast digital television were gazetted. The public-sector service is supposed to offer between eight and thirty-three channels, broadcasting unencrypted and free of charge the channels France 2, France 3, La Cinquième, ARTE, the parliamentary channel, eight regional channels dependent on France 3, one nonstop news channel and one channel broadcasting repeats of broadcasts by the three current public-sector channels. Apart from the fact that these amend the work statements for France 2, France 3 and the Télévision du savoir de la formation et de l'emploi channel - now officially called La Cinquième - to allow them to cope with their new missions, the new decrees also lay down the work statements for the "non-stop news channel" and the "repeats" channel created specially for TNT. Thus the mandate of the future non-stop news channel is to "offer viewers a continuous news service on current affairs in France and the rest of the world". This means that it "ensures that political formations in all their diversity have comparable programming conditions for their presence on television". Broadcasting programmes or images on court proceedings "requires particular attention to be paid to respect for the presumption of innocence, the preservation of privacy and the anonymity of juvenile delinquents". Although the channel will be allowed to broadcast "audiovisual works for up to 20% of its airtime", it will not however be able to broadcast full-length cinema films. The remit mandate of the repeats channel - the channel intended to encourage "cultural discovery" - is to "offer a selection of the best programmes broadcast on public-sector television while at the same time affirming its own identity through the programmes it produces and purchases".

Changes have also been made to the work and mission statements for France 2 and France 3. These now constitute the first new element defining the missions of the public-sector services since 15 November last year when the European Commission asked for a precise, official definition of the mandate of the public service. Moreover, making allowance for the changes introduced by the Act of 1 August 2000, the preamble takes note of the creation of France Télévision and defines the relations between the various companies in the group in order to reach a clearer definition of their role. The duration of advertising spots is also reduced from twelve to eight minutes per hour. Lastly, the decree applies new regimes to the contribution service editors make to the production and distribution of audiovisual works and cinema films (see IRIS 2002-2: 8).