Speech by Roch-Olivier Maistre at the "Rencontres sur l'avenir des télévisions publiques en Europe" Wednesday, January 12, 2021

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It's certainly a daunting exercise you've invited us to undertake, dear President, by inviting us to share our thoughts today on the future of public television in Europe. It's daunting because I'm coming after Alex [Vizorek], because it's before lunch, and because it's very hard to talk about the future.Fortunately, the great Winston Churchill reminds us, in one of his secret formulas, that" A good politician is one who is able to predict the future and who, afterwards, is also able to explain why things did not turn out as he predicted. " So, on the strength of this reference, let's go ahead and take a few risks!

Risk, because if there's one subject on which the French have a clear-cut opinion, it's television. An opinion which, here as in many of our neighbors, is not devoid of paradox. On the one hand, the public service is questioned, challenged, criticized, even threatened in its existence: nothing seems to have grace in the eyes of these viewer-taxpayers who fulminate and protest, asking not without vigor - until January 1 only - "but what is the French Superior Audiovisual Council doing?".

And yet, on the other side of the coin, public service broadcasting, while not universally acclaimed, records audiences for both radio and television that are the envy of many. All surveys confirm this positive overall assessment of the public supply. Paradoxes of the times, you might say, reminiscent of the vigorous debates surrounding the BBC's editorial line and management over the past ten years or so, the vote in Switzerland in 2018 on the future of the licence fee and, even more worryingly, the recent attempts to bring the BBC to heel in Budapest, Prague and Warsaw.

In this respect, we must salute the spirit behind the initiative of the European Commission and Commissioner Breton in particular to bring forward a regulatory project - the " European Media Freedom Act " - based on the values of freedom that are those of our continent, in order to guarantee the independence and plurality of the media. As I said, independence and plurality can never be over-protected in our democracies.

As you know, Arcom, which took over from the French Superior Audiovisual Council on January 1 this year, has a strong historical relationship with public audiovisual companies such as France Télévisions, Radio France, France Médias Monde and the Institut national de l'audiovisuel (INA). Every year, we issue an opinion on the execution of these companies' contracts of objectives and means, as well as on their compliance with specifications. We also have the delicate but essential task of appointing the presidents of public audiovisuel companies. This overhanging position of the regulator, different in nature from that of the State shareholder, enables us to see from the viewpoint of an "engaged spectator", to use Raymond Aron's fine phrase, on this inseparable attachment and demand that we all bear towards the public audiovisuel.

Firstly, over and above the short-term effects of the pandemic, as regulators we have observed the attachment of our compatriots to a public service supply that is distinct from the supply offered by private operators.

In this period of structural mistrust of the media, I'm thinking first and foremost of the development of a reference news supply, based on independence, the rigor of professional editorial teams and plurality of viewpoints. At a time when false information and conspiracy theories are proliferating on social networks, this information mission is more central than ever. Far from the hullabaloo, sterile polemics and biases, we have a major responsibility to restore public confidence.

Offering an impartial, honest, balanced and measured view of current and world events, and providing a forum for plurality, where every current of thought and opinion can express itself freely and serenely - this noble mission is certainly not the prerogative of the public service, but it is an imperative for the latter.

Secondly, at a time when the defense of cultural diversity is becoming a crucial issue for our country and our continent, in the face of the power of international streaming platforms, I am thinking of maintaining a high level of funding for cinematographic and audiovisual creation.

To take just one example, it would be a mistake to forget that France Télévisions invests some 420 million euros a year in audiovisual creation, and over 60 million in cinema alone. Similarly, it would be wrong to forget that Radio France plays an essential role in the French music scene, or in the production of podcasts. And of course, I could also mention the decisive contributions of France Médias Monde, dear Marie-Christine, which supplies us with a unique and salutary view of international current affairs, Arte, a truly European cultural channel, or INA, the living statement of case for our audiovisual industry.

Finally, I'm thinking of access to culture, knowledge and learning, which is at the heart of the public service's special responsibility. As we all know, since the beginning of the health crisis, the public media have played an eminent role for citizens seeking reliable, verified information, entertainment or cultural programs. They have proved to be key players in the continuity of education, offering educational programs on their airwaves every day. They have also ensured a form of continuity for an artistic life dramatically deprived of its stages and audiences. For many of our compatriots, access to culture comes first and foremost through the supplies that these companies provide on a daily basis, in the service of the "elitism for all" so dear to Jean Vilar and Antoine Vitez.

Free and universal, the public service has a duty to unite all French people, of all generations, wherever they come from and wherever they are, around diversified, high-quality programs.

From this point of view, I have no hesitation in saying that, alongside a rich and multiple private supply that is essential to plurality, we need a strong public service. At a time when powerful consolidation movements are taking place throughout the world and on our continent, the overall balance of the sector depends imperatively on maintaining this duality.

My second observation is that, while we are aware of the French people's attachment to public service, we are equally aware of their expectations and demands. Attachment and demands are, in a way, two sides of the same coin.

At a time when public service media are being criticized, even attacked, and when their independence is also being called into question in some Central European countries, it is essential, on the one hand, to guarantee the exercise of their missions and, on the other, to listen to the expectations and demands that are being expressed in their regard.

With this in mind, the cardinal issue, in my view, is undoubtedly that of financing. Although the models differ from one country to another, funding from earmarked resources is still in the majority in Europe, and many countries have reformed their schemes in recent years. Some countries have retained the TV ownership criterion, while others have integrated connected objects. Others, such as Germany and Sweden, have opted for specific contributions, independent of equipment ownership. In France, as you know, public audiovisuel is currently financed by a contribution payable by households equipped with a television set. This contribution is based on the taxe d'habitation, which will be abolished in 2023, and discussions are still underway to determine the best model for the future.

While it is of course up to Parliament to give a ruling on this issue, the regulator is - and I personally have always been - in favor of a strong and securely-funded public audiovisual industry.

Whichever scheme is chosen, Arcom supports the principle of a dynamic and survival resource, adapted to the reality of today's audiovisual uses. In line with the principles laid down by the French Constitutional Council, it must be capable of guaranteeing the independence of public audiovisuel, by providing it with stable and predictable means. These resources must enable it to fulfill its missions as effectively as possible, while maintaining sufficient "firepower" in the increasingly competitive rights market, whether for production or sports.

However, in the regulator's view, maintaining such an earmarked resource goes hand in hand with the principle of good governance of public service media. The contracts of objectives and means that bind the national program companies and the State have been reformed with this in mind, to tighten strategic objectives and accelerate the implementation of joint projects. Over the course of the next legislature, we will need to continue our efforts to strengthen the synergies and coherent management of these companies. The compass remains the interests of the public, both in terms of the quality of the supply and the sound management of public funds, which, once the pandemic is behind us, will undoubtedly become increasingly scarce. The question of the efficiency of public services, and therefore the effectiveness of their governance, will remain more than ever, I'm convinced, an imperative for the years to come.

Finally, in the face of major developments in the European and global media spheres, public service companies must continue and amplify their transformation. Like the industry as a whole, they are facing a triple revolution, the effects of which combine: firstly, a technological revolution, with new ways of accessing audiovisual programs. In the first half of 2021, 82% of French households were equipped with a TV set connected to the Internet; a behavioral revolution, secondly, with new uses: the number of screens is multiplying (six on average today per household in France) and non-linear consumption is developing strongly; an economic revolution, finally, which is taking shape before our very eyes with a restructuring of the audiovisual landscape.

The multiplication of program supplies has led to a fragmentation of audiences, forcing all players to find new growth drivers and to embark on convergence. New international players have appeared on the digital scene; endowed with unprecedented financial and technological capacity - Netflix, the streaming leader, has announced it will invest $19 billion in production in 2021 alone - they are shaking up our historic players, both public and private.

And far from standing still, our companies are engaged in this transformation movement. Rejuvenating their audiences is at the heart of the digital strategies they are successfully developing, to seek out and reach audiences where they are now. Last year, France Médias Monde, in partnership with Deutsche Welle, launched a multilingual digital medium aimed at youngsters [ENTR]. Cooperation has also become a structural axis to better respond to viewers' and listeners' expectations: the creation of FranceInfo and the rapprochement of France 3 and France Bleu's supplies for greater proximity are just two examples. Tomorrow, we'll have to go even further down this road, and continue to encourage European co-productions. In this respect, audiovisuel reform is still ahead of us.

In any case, as part of this process of transformation, Arcom, with its new remit, will be at the side of all companies in the sector, both public and private, to support them as they adapt to the changes underway, with the public interest we all share as our sole compass.

Thank you all very much.