Presentation of the 2022 activity report to the French senate's culture, education and communication committee
Check against delivery
Mr. Chairman, Ladies and Gentlemen
Ladies and Gentlemen of the Senate,
Allow me to begin by expressing my warmest congratulations to all those of you who were elected or re-elected in the recent renewal of the French senate. Naturally, I have a special thought for you, Mr. Chairman, who have just been re-elected to head this fine committee. I also welcome Mr. Vial's appointment on subjects we share. I'm delighted that we'll be able to continue our discussions, to which, as you know, I attach the utmost importance. Arcom has always been fortunate to benefit from the listening and support of your committee, whose recognized investment and expertise in the audiovisual field are invaluable to the entire industry. The challenges faced by both public and private players in our audiovisual landscape make it more necessary than ever for the authorities to pay close attention to the difficulties they encounter.
The presentation of our first activity report to your Committee will give me the opportunity to:
- firstly, to review the results of Arcom, an authority that has been profoundly transformed over the past five years and is now fully operational (1) ;
- secondly, to review the transformations underway in the sector, and their implications for operators and authorities alike (2)
- and finally, we'll look at some of Arcom's major projects for the coming year, the last of my term of office (3).
1. As this first activity report shows, Arcom has been hard at work since its creation, fulfilling its various missions and completing its transformation.
A few figures speak for themselves: in 2022, the College met 77 times in plenary session, studied almost 1,100 files and organized 38 hearings.
1.1. I'd like to remind you of some of the major events of this first year:
- the presidential and legislative elections, which mobilized our teams in charge of plurality, in close collaboration with the audiovisual media, digital platforms, political parties and the teams of the various candidates. We are now preparing for the European elections in June 2024;
- major consolidation projects in the sector (the proposed merger of TF1 and M6, Vivendi's proposed takeover bid for Lagardère), which required in-depth investigation on our part;
- the appointment process for the presidencies of Radio France and France Médias Monde;
- strengthening our European and international commitment, within the European network of regulators, ERGA, as well as the French-speaking network, REFRAM, of which we took over the presidency in 2022 until the end of 2024;
- the implementation of our new missions in the fight against piracy, with over 1,600 unlawful sites blocked in this first year in the sports sector alone. In this respect, we believe that the legal manager adopted in 2021 could be strengthened with regard to cultural piracy, by accelerating processing times to limit circumvention phenomena and extend the scope of the scheme.
In addition to these major projects, I'm not forgetting other key projects for 2022, such as the launch of the podcast observatory, the rollout of digital terrestrial radio, which will soon cover more than 60% of the in mainland population, our new "Children and Screens" campaign, and the conclusion of climate agreements.
1.2 At the same time, we have been transforming our organization.
We have been working on a number of fronts: expanding the college to 9 members appointed by 5 different authorities, adopting a strategic plan, setting up a creative department and increasing the power of our online platforms department, merging our social bodies and management regulations, not to mention bringing all our staff together on our premises.
We will also be looking for a new location, as our landlord has informed us of his intention to carry out major works on our historic site, the Tour Mirabeau. We will be moving into our new premises by the end of 2024 at the latest.
2. A word about the transformations in our audiovisual landscape, which require us to listen to and support our national operators in their strategic reorientations.
2.1. These transformations are of three kinds
Firstly, we are witnessing a revolution in usage. This is expressed in particular by a shift in consumption towards on-demand content: while television listening time (TVL) is in structural decline, 50% of French households now subscribe to a video-on-demand service. The average age of TV viewers is now almost 58 [+10 in ten years], almost 65 for public service channels, and youngsters are opting for other vectors and other content. 2/3 of under-15s visit Snapchat every day, and social networks are the primary means of accessing information for 71% of 15-34 year-olds.
This transformation in habits is driven by new audiovisual equipment. Screens are multiplying (six per household on average) and 88% of TV-equipped households had a smart TV by the end of 2022. The TV set is becoming a storehouse of applications, and its "non-TV" uses account for between a third and a half of the time spent on it by 4-34 year-olds.
The new realities of usage and reception patterns are reconfiguring the market. International video streaming platforms are increasingly competing with our national groups in terms of acquisition, costs and diffusion of new programs and access to talent. Our national landscape is also being impacted by the growing weight of digital players, most of them non-European, who are absorbing more than half of all media advertising resources. By 2022, Google, Meta and Amazon will account for 2/3 of digital advertising revenues in France.
2.2. Against this backdrop, it is important to preserve the economic and cultural model of our national players
All audiovisuel groups are currently undergoing strategic reorientations. This is leading them to make major investments, and underlines a dynamism and resilience that are a credit to the sector. Our groups, whether public or private, are seeking to win over new audiences by strengthening their digital and editorial strategies, and diversifying their distribution methods. We can be proud of this.
For private players, this new situation implies the need to free up financial leeway, in particular to face up to competition for advertising revenues. In the face of disparities in regulations, the time has probably come to start thinking about adaptations, whether in terms of sectors where advertising is banned, or the system of legal notices in radio.
For public audiovisuel, which plays a fundamental role in the balance of our broadcasting landscape, and whose independence and modus operandi must be guaranteed, the government has announced the multi-year funding pathway it is proposing for the period 2024-2028. As Arcom has often said, a strong public service is one that is not only well-funded, but also able to organize the editorial and organizational synergies needed to better fulfill its mission to serve the French people.
In this respect, the successful merger of the regional networks of France Télévisions and Radio France, as well as the development of Franceinfo:, will probably require an appropriate response in terms of governance to effectively steer these structuring projects.
3. All these projects will be at the heart of Arcom's priorities for the coming year, which will be a year of major deadlines - this will be my last point.
3.1. First and foremost, Arcom will continue its commitment to the implementation of the European regulation on digital services.
This text, which entered its first phase of application on August 25, 2023 and will be fully applicable on February 17, 2024, profoundly renews our missions in the supervision of online platforms. It also significantly strengthens our position in Europe, both with the Commission and with our counterparts. To carry out these demanding missions, our teams are in the process of consolidating, thanks to the means allocated to us in the 2023 draft legislation, and which it is proposed to grant us in the 2024 draft legislation. The draft legislation aimed at securing and regulating the digital space makes provision for us to be appointed coordinator for France alongside the French national data protection agency and the DGCCRF, a responsibility for which we are actively preparing.
3.2. Several major television and radio issues are also on our roadmap
- First of all, the licenses of fifteen national DTT services will expire in 2025, an issue of great importance to the sector. In accordance with the law, we have carried out a public consultation, the summary of which will be made public very shortly, and we are completing an impact study, which will also be published before the end of the year. It's a very rich work on the state of television in France today. In the first few weeks of 2024, we will be launching a call for candidates for the allocation of expiring frequencies. The government also wanted France Télévisions to be able to deploy ultra high definition in the run-up to the Paris 2024 gaming, which we have just authorized ;
- next, in the radio sector, we will continue our work to extend DAB+ and finalize our white paper on the future of this medium, the principle of which I announced here and whose conclusions will be presented in the first quarter of 2024;
- Finally, we have before us another major issue that affects our sovereignty: that of services of general interest, which aims to preserve the exposure of our national players and their programs in the new world of access interfaces to audiovisual services. Here too, we'll have to give a ruling in the next few weeks.
On all these subjects, the Etats généraux de l'information, to which Arcom intends to contribute, offers an opportunity for in-depth, cross-disciplinary reflection to prepare the future of a sector that lies at the heart of our democracy and our daily lives. The work being carried out at European level, in particular on artificial intelligence and media freedom, will also help to provide our continent with a legal manager adapted to the transformations of the moment. As we are well aware, there are major challenges ahead. Let me mention just three:
- enabling our national media to develop a resilient economic model to carry out their missions, in particular that of informing us, at a time when the international situation and the challenges facing our societies require more than ever honest, independent and rigorous plurality of information, which contributes fully to the formation of public opinion and democratic debate;
- fight more effectively against disinformation, online hatred, foreign interference and all the destabilizing actions of the "engineers of chaos" who target our country, our continent and its values;
- to protect freedom of expression and media plurality in a climate of extreme polarization and growing intolerance.
Arcom is fully mobilized, in its rightful place, on all these strategic reflections. I would like to thank you for your attention and remain at your disposal to answer any questions you may have.
Presentation of the 2022 activity report to the French senate's culture, education and communication committee
- 146.67 KB
- in french