News

Five months after the announcement of President Sarkozy to suppress advertising on French public service broadcasting, the situation and perspectives of the public broadcasting channels are deteriorating. France Télévision will very likely have to announce losses and media workers and their unions fear that the remit of the public service is in danger.



Yesterday, UNI-MEI affiliates lead a second strike hitting the French TV screens and streets of Paris in the battle of the future of French public service broadcasting. Already in February, thousands of workers followed the call of the unions to demonstrate against the plans of the government. Since then a Commission has been established (the so-called Copé Commission), which elaborated a report. However, the report does not provide any concrete and financially sustainable plan how to ensure the future of France Télévisions. The unions reacted and called on to the President of the Republic to engage in a true and ongoing dialogue with the unions and the workforce.



At the demonstration in Paris yesterday our colleagues from CGT, FO, CFDT lead again a inter-union alliance uniting all unions in public service broadcasting and thousands of workers. The demonstration called on the government to commit to adequate funding of public broadcasting and job security for workers of French public broadcasting.



UNI-MEI and its affiliates support the action and goals of our French colleagues and will support them in their struggle to secure a sustainable, diverse and high quality public service broadcasting service in France. The leadership of EURO-MEI will be meeting next week in London to discuss joint actions to support the French unions and colleagues.



The developments in France are of great importance at a time when the European Commission is planning to revise the European rules with respect to funding of public service broadcasting.



See also the earlier UNI-MEI statement of February 2008