France

[FR] Diagnosis and Proposals for Improving French Exports of Audiovisual Programmes

IRIS 2005-9:1/20

Philie Marcangelo-Leos

Légipresse

Following the realisation that French exports of audiovisual programmes have been stagnating and perhaps even regressing since 2001, Mr Eric Moniot, a senior civil servant at the French Ministry of the Economy, Finances and Industry, was asked by the Director General of the Centre national de la cinématographie (French national film centre - CNC), to draw up proposals for improving the exposure of French programmes on foreign screens. He raised a number of possibilities, including developing the offer of programmes, strengthening companies, and improving the arrangements for public support. The rapporteur proposed making use of the CNC and the collective organisation for the promotion of programmes (IFCIC) in order to meet the demand from professionals for one-stop handling of relations with beneficiaries. The success of these recommendations is based mainly on international involvement on the part of the major French broadcasters. To achieve this, the report envisages including the development of international programmes in France Télévisions' contract of objectives and means. It also appears to be necessary to review the arrangements for supporting the programmes industry, by limiting their detrimental effects on the offer of programmes and by including the criterion of international market satisfaction among those that are conditional for aid for creation. Thus it is recommended that financing obtained from foreign broadcasters should be taken into account in calculating the financial support generated by a given work. These objectives also depend on an improvement in the collective promotion of programmes abroad, and the CNC has a major role to play in this respect. Lastly, according to the report, it is essential to assist companies in their investment and development efforts. Developing exports of audiovisual programmes would make an important contribution to cultural diversity and employment policy, and this must be reflected in the State's budget. At the same time, there should be encouragement for investment expenditure directed at modernising and developing exporting companies, particularly medium-sized companies connected with production structures.