At the same time, Sarkozy wants to create a French BBC (MediaGuardian). I suppose you can see the logic, BBC Worldwide funds the BBC's foreign language services, there would be uproar if the license fee went on Jonny Foreigner.
Has the whole France 24 project been a failure? I've just watched the channel a few times but remember finding it quite boring and poor in content. I guess if the channel had been a success, Sarkozy would be pleased to use taxpayers' money to promote the "French view" of the world.
I'd be sad to see a 24-hour new channel fail, but I have to say I'm not altogether surprised by this. From the beginning, it was obvious that France 24 was essentially a political project with a poorly defined business plan. If a country helps launch a service primarily so it can promote its viewpoints abroad, it should be prepared to lose a lot of money in the process.
BBC World, on the other hand, is not a political project; it has had a viable business plan from the beginning. Its purpose is not to promote British viewpoints or even British culture abroad, but rather to be financially successful by making use the BBC's newsgathering operation to appeal to international viewers.
I think that an English-language, truly pan-European 24-hour news channel (a live service, not a limited, impersonal, multilingual operation like Euronews) could be successful. After all, the audiences of 24-hour international news channels tend to be well traveled, educated and prosperous -- which means that a very large proportion of them understand English.
Has the whole France 24 project been a failure? I've just watched the channel a few times but remember finding it quite boring and poor in content. I guess if the channel had been a success, Sarkozy would be pleased to use taxpayers' money to promote the "French view" of the world.
I wouldn't say boring, just simpler. I think the problem is that it has been overshadowed by aljazeera - who not only have the added clout of their arabic counterpart's reputation but also provide a REALLY different point of view and one that was lacking in the mainstream media at that time.
I saw a documentary on there (F24) from Botswana yesterday, so they do have the content.
I find that whenever I tune into the channel everything looks very cheap, the ticker, the logo etc. But not as bad as Russia Today with their awful ticker. Their studio is nice though, if different.
I think that an English-language, truly pan-European 24-hour news channel (a live service, not a limited, impersonal, multilingual operation like Euronews) could be successful. After all, the audiences of 24-hour international news channels tend to be well traveled, educated and prosperous -- which means that a very large proportion of them understand English.
That's a venture that could in theory work, although I think it would be important to bring some other widely spoken languages into the fold as well.
I know the British have it handed to them on a plate some times as far as language and communication goes, and when I'm in my native Spain and I hear tourists in Madrid waving and gesticulating widely because of a lack of any form of communication I do think that the reach of other languages such as Spanish and French should be recognised.
I'm aware though of the financial implications of this and in reality it is unlikely to happen, which in my opinion is unfortunate.
Interesting - my post early in this thread suggesting a merger between TV5 and France 24 looks a bit more accurate than some suggested. (Though this may be a total co-incidence!)
I think Sarkozy is missing the point somewhat.
A French language channel is - to a degree - "preaching to the converted". It is likely that most Francophones will already be pretty aware of France, its culture and its international standpoints and positions. Anglophones are less likely to be - and more of the world speaks English than French AIUI...
France 24 in English informs the non-Francophone world of events with a French perspective - but nobody will watch the French channel with English subtitles.
I dip in and out of France 24 (love their bizarre weather language) and speaking a bit of French also dip in and out of TV5 and so would probably watch France 24 in French, but I'm a news junkie who can speak French...
I think Sarkozy is merging two points :
1. The French public funding a channel that is not aimed at them (After all the British public don't fund BBC World)
2. A need for an accessible source of TV news with a French point of view around the world.
Accessibility sort of suggests English language...
However I suspect that the commercial funding of such a channel (either in French or English) would not be easy, so they are in a catch 22...
That said - the British public (via the government) DO fund BBC World Service radio (by general taxation not the licence fee) and that broadcasts in many languages, as does Radio France International(e) as I understand it. The BBC is launching public (via government) funded Arabic and Farsi TV services - again via general taxation not the licence fee... I think there is a pretty widespread view that the BBC World Service Radio services (in English and non-English languages) are some of the best ambassadors for Britain you could have...
At the same time, Sarkozy wants to create a French BBC (MediaGuardian). I suppose you can see the logic, BBC Worldwide funds the BBC's foreign language services, there would be uproar if the license fee went on Jonny Foreigner.
Actually the British Goverment funds the foreign language services, incuding the new Arabic and Persian TV.
At the same time, Sarkozy wants to create a French BBC (MediaGuardian). I suppose you can see the logic, BBC Worldwide funds the BBC's foreign language services, there would be uproar if the license fee went on Jonny Foreigner.
No - the foreign language World Service Radio services and the forthcoming BBC Arabic TV and BBC Farsi/Persian TV service are all funded by the government directly (i.e. by our direct taxation) rather than the licence fee. None of these operations carry commercials AIUI and they are not funded or operated by BBC Worldwide... Not sure where you got that idea from.
BBC World, which is now owned and operated by BBC World Ltd., not BBC Worldwide, though they work with BBC Worldwide on funding, is not a foreign language service and it does carry adverts. (There are/were versions where some programmes are dubbed into other languages such as Japanese - but I don't think this qualifies BBC World as foreign language.)
AIUI there is some common management between BBC World and BBC World Service Radio - as both are managed by a division which I think was called BBC International, which was part of the shift from BBC Worldwide ownership and control of BBC World, to separate BBC World Ltd ownership.
BBC Worldwide do operate joint venture channel operations in non-English speaking territories - like South America, where BBC shows are dubbed, and non BBC shows shown. However these channels aren't relevant to the France 24 discussion...
Dumping France 24 sounds like good policy to me. I've never really cared for this ridiculous nationalistic attitude that certain countries take in feeling the need to publicly fund efforts to broadcast their 'voice' or 'perspective' abroad. I mean no disrespect to the French, but does anyone outside of France care what they think?
Don't get me wrong - if successful private broadcasters see merit in doing it, and they can run commercially viable operations, then great. But otherwise, it's just an extravagant waste of taxpayers' funds for something they themselves get little benefit from, and almost certainly no value.
As far as creating a French BBC goes - well, look, I don't know how effective the existing French public broadcasters are, but I can't imagine they'd be so utterly atrocious that they'd need the government to step in and completely overhaul their structure. Certainly I'm not sure what's meant to be achieved from removing all advertising from the existing networks - all it does is impose a greater burden on the taxpayers' purse.
France 24 has only been around for 1 year, i don't mind it (though prefer BBC and Russia Today), but i think the best way for France 24 is to keep the english language news service, it's a great way to reach an audience (much like Russia Today, Al Jazeera and Press TV have done)
French resistance
Published: 11 January 2008 11:52 Author: Rob Shepherd More by this Author Last Updated: 11 January 2008 12:09
France 24 has strongly criticised French president Nicolas Sarkozy for saying the broadcaster should ditch its English and Arabic services and stick to French.
Earlier this week, Sarkozy told a press conference he no longer wanted to spend taxpayers' money on the round-the-clock news channel in its current multilingual form and create a merged service with other French broadcasters, France Monde, which would be broadcast in French.
"We are not opposed to a consolidation with other French international services such as Radio France Internationale and TV5," France 24 said in a statement. "We are fully aware of the need for a rationalisation of the three channels, economically and journalistically. What we do oppose is the forsaking of the whole project as it was originally intended, and the senselessness of this change."
The channel also argued that if France wanted to gain traction with its own news channel globally, it had to broadcast in different languages to eradicate "old stereotypes" of "French arrogance".
It added: "France 24 deserves neither such contempt and nor such hasty treatment, having proven time and again its independence, its creativity, its results and, above all, its relevance in today's world."