Impartiality of the audiovisuel public service: Arcom commissions Bruno Lasserre
Arcom has entrusted Bruno Lasserre, Honorary Vice-President of the Conseil d'Etat, Chairman of the Commission d'accès aux documents administratifs (Cada) and former Chairman of the Competition Authority, with the task of leading the work on impartiality in the public audiovisuel sector announced following the hearings of the Chairmen of France Télévisions and Radio France on September 17.
The first aim of this mission will be to clarify the scope of the principle of impartiality and the resulting obligations for public audiovisual media, in particular by specifying the extent to which these differ from the requirements of plurality and honesty in the treatment of information applicable to all audiovisual media, including private TV channels and radio stations. It should also clarify how the general principle of public service neutrality, which also applies to public media, is reconciled with their independence and editorial freedom.
The mission will also seek to inventory and evaluate, in the light of best practices observed abroad, the schemes and tools currently in place within public service audiovisuel channels and stations: editorial charters, committees on honesty, independence and plurality of news and programs, ombudsmen, and proceedings for handling complaints, in particular.
It will also supervise a quantitative and qualitativestudy aimed at objectivising public perceptions and understanding their expectations.
The mission will hold any hearings it deems necessary, and may seek input from France Télévisions', Radio France's and France Médias Monde's committees on honesty, independence and plurality in news and programs.
Bruno Lasserre will submit his conclusions to Arcom within six months, in the form ofa public report presenting proposals and notices.
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