France

[FR] Agreement between Canal Plus and Independent Producers

IRIS 1997-6:1/30

Bertrand Delcros

Radio France

Canal Plus, set up in 1984, is a television channel with special links with the film industry. Under the terms of an agreement reached on 1 June 1995 with the Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel (government radio and television supervisory authority), it is authorised to broadcast 365 films per year between noon and midnight and 120 films between midnight and noon. It would be tempting to a channel like Canal Plus to invest in film production either directly or through a subsidiary (in this case a company called "Studio"). A commercial strategy of this kind would be a serious blow to independent producers. For their own protection, they could have asked the public authorities to lay down regulations. Much more realistic is the agreement between Canal Plus and the bodies representing the film industry. It is planned that Canal Plus will devote 70% of its film purchases to independent producers in 1997, increasing to 75% in 2000. The concept of dependence of a production company on Canal Plus has also been clarified; dependent companies are those in which Canal Plus holds more than 15% of company capital.