Public audiovisual: real challenges, false answers

A The time when the principles of the rule of law are attacked, where the spaces of public dialogue shrink and where the false news swarm, consolidate the public audiovisual service is a democratic necessity.

Faced with this complex issue. Similarly, the senatorial bill debated from Monday, June 30, in the National Assembly, intends to provide a simple response: the regrouping of France Télévisions, Radio France and the National Audiovisual Institute in a holding company called “France Media”, placing the whole under the direction of a single CEO.

The genesis of the text was chaotic: after a merger project stopped at the time of COVID-19. Moreover, the proposal to create a holding company had not resisted the dissolution, a year ago. In addition, A minimalist version ended up being validated in committee by public audiovisual: real challenges, false the deputies. However, vigorously carried by the Minister of Culture, Rachida Dati, and defended by Laurence Bloch, former director of the Radio France, who judges the single governance « indispensable ».

While many reforms aim to remedy state service dysfunctions. Moreover, the bill concerns a successful public service: Radio France is at the top of the audiences and a hit in terms of podcasts, France Télévisions is securely faced with competition. This good. even excellent hold should not hide huge challenges: hearings are aging, consumption “on demand” takes precedence over “linear” public audiovisual: real challenges, false uses, competition from platforms and social networks is fierce. The disappointing cooperation between radio. television in continuous and local information, as well as the massive use of producers private by France TV make the status quo difficult.

But who may believe that a simple structure reform at the top with the addition public audiovisual: real challenges, false of a level of governance can. as repeated by^me Data, “Make the audiovisual public stronger” ? Who only sees the institution of a unique “information director” for radio and television would facilitate all pressures? That the break -up of the radio sector between three subsidiaries – Radio France. the local network here and Franceinfo – would weaken it?

Public audiovisual: real challenges. false – Public audiovisual: real challenges, false

The Public Service Scalp

Handling the ambiguity, Rachida Dati swears defending public service while multiplying pressures, invective and provocations, without managing to explain – and for good reason – how the creation of a holding company would meet the heavy challenges of the hour. Everything happens as if the minister wanted at all costs to offer the scalp of the public service to flatter the right. the extreme right and to consolidate her ambitions as a candidate for the town hall of Paris.

The wins of M^me Dati precisely caricature this against which. to truly strengthen it, it would be necessary to protect the audiovisual public: dependence on the political calendar and to ministerial agendas. Such an ambition involves the guarantee of funding in the medium term disconnected from political vagaries – compromised by the deplorable suppression. in 2022, of the fee without lasting replacement -, by adaptation of competition rules with the private sector, and by governance which, as at the BBC, strengthens the position of public audiovisual in the face of political power.

The future of this vital sector presupposes an ambitious and credible plan in this direction. Not a sloppy, potentially dangerous text used by a minister to propel his career.