Address by Frédéric Mitterrand, on the occasion of the study on the contract of objectives and means (COM) of France Télévisions, to the Committee on Cultural Affairs and Education of the National Assembly

I am very pleased to be able to speak to you today about the
negotiation of a new Contract of Objectives and Means between the State and
France Télévisions to cover the period 2011-2015.

Objectives and means are words that belong as much to the
discourse on the art of war than that of good government. One oscillates
between Clausewitz and Machiavelli, between Sun Zu and Star Stone.
Ars belli, ars governandi!

However, I would like to point out that since the early 2000s,
the development of these contract documents represents progress
public audiovisual organizations, and in particular the
the species at France Télévisions, a multi-year visibility on its strategy,
its management, and its funding. And this vision capacity and
for the benefit of France Télévisions as well as
that of the State, to which I naturally associate the National Representation,
notice is required before the contract is entered into. These contracts,
you know, are the result of a thorough work of consultation and I
the quality of the work carried out between the administrations concerned and
France Télévisions.

This new Contract of Objectives and Means (COM) corresponds to the
the new president of the company, Mr. Rémy Pflimlin. He
also with considerable technological change in the landscape
audiovisual: the transition of all French people to television
at the end of 2011. It is finally backed up by a
funding you established as a result of your fall debates
last on the finance bill (PLF): advertising, absent in
will be present throughout the duration of the Contract of Objectives and
until 2016. It is a solution of balance and wisdom.
the Government, in a budgetary context that
we all know very constrained, and which today brings visibility and
stability necessary to build the multiannual strategy of
France Télévisions. It is a solution that also preserves ambition
quality and ethics of public service that has driven the reform of France
Televisions.

The work on the Contract of Objectives and Means (COM) did well
and, subject to the ultimate financial arbitrations that must be
in the next few days, we want to see them completed
by the end of June, in order to be able to send this Contract to
Parliament as soon as possible in early July.

Supported by the State, the ambitions of France Télévisions are clear:
France Télévisions must address all audiences. It is indeed
essential to offer all citizens a public service offering,
rich, varied and diverse. To citizens of all ages, from
all backgrounds, all regions, all origins. The
legitimacy, singularity, I would even say the image of television
more than ever essential in a media landscape
In a few short years, this has evolved from a logic of
limited programs, a heavy proliferation of challenges for groups
In this context, France Télévisions can rely on the
on the range of its channels to offer programs that speak to
all who neglect no one.

For this, France Télévisions must be strong and well identified in the universe
digital terrestrial television, which will definitively replace
analog at the end of 2011. This strength requires the affirmation of identities and
complementarities between antennas. This force also
by strengthening one of the particularities which is one of the strengths of
public television: its regional dimension, both in metropolitan and
overseas, as close as possible to the expectations and needs of our fellow citizens;
France Télévisions must also be strong in the digital world. The
forecasts are agreed to emphasize the predominance of video format
in the digital world, which is accompanied by a decline in
linear consumption, from “traditional” broadcasting to the benefit of the
consumption on demand, on an increasing number of media:
home TV, computer, tablets and more
mobile phone terminals. In this new context, the
As intermediaries, broadcasters have a double duty:

Remain prescribers in the audiovisual universe, who are able to
create large collective meetings and build a strong bond,
powerful among the French, who make the feeling of
“to make society together”. I am thinking here of major sporting events,
such as the Tour de France, to iconic programs such as the
Telethon, as well as information and political debate programmes,
to inform our fellow citizens. This mission clearly differentiates
the public service of the rest of the audiovisual landscape. In particular,
through a requirement to transmit culture and knowledge – and I think
arts education, scientific and technical culture, and
the diffusion of the live show - to the greatest number.

Becoming spaces for creation, innovation in terms of uses
digital.

France Télévisions will notably build on its areas of excellence
to assert oneself in the digital universe: information, sport, anchoring
its programs will be better shared, more accessible,
available on digital networks.
This Contract of Objectives and Means (COM) must also mark
exemplarity of the public group in several areas:

The first is that of audiovisual creation with a double
issue. On the one hand, offer the public modern, creative works,
to renew French fiction. This one must
to regain a new vigor, a new energy, to meet
new audiences, be more in tune with lifestyles and forms
of our society. On the other hand, designing a true partnership
producers and creators, in the interests of transparency, transparency and
trust and innovation. This includes applying some of the
recommendations of the report recently submitted to me by Pierre Chevalier, on
the future of French fiction and its good development. In
France Télévisions will continue its policy in favour of the
cultural diversity;

The second area of exemplarity to which I am particularly fond is
diversity. As a company, public television must be
exemplary through its teams, their openness to the diversity of society
their openness to what Edouard Glissant designates as
as “globality”, a globalized world, a world shaped by
plural identities, “networked identities”. It’s not just about
a question of quota or skin colour, but a question of condition
spirit and mentality. Acting in the area of diversity means opening up
to the world to change our gaze on the world; it means opening up to
wealth and success stories in working-class neighbourhoods – those
sometimes referred to as a stigmatizing adjective: “sensitive” - and
offer a different look at those who live there, on France such
that is and not as we would like it to be. As a media
of course, public television must also represent the
French society in all its diversity, in all its components,
in all its wealth. Because France is a “country-world”
is in my opinion a chance and an asset to establish our influence, our
radiation, our singularity too.

France Télévisions must finally be exemplary in the field of
cultural programmes, in particular the musical programmes,
by doing justice to the diversity of music, by reflecting on
renewal of “audiovisual grammars” in terms of programming
dedicated to music. I asked France Télévisions for
to improve the editorialization of music programs, to
give all the space they deserve to new productions,
particularly on the group’s “historical” antennae, France 2 and France.
Although the public service sometimes excels in this area, as we do
recalled the cover of Roland Garros a few days ago, the exemplary
also applies to the diversity of sports offered on the air
and the transmission of positive values – those of “living together”,
citizenship, social integration - attached to sport.

Finally, Télévisions is going through an important project: the completion of the
project of the Joint Undertaking. The law of 5 March 2009
fusion of national programme companies France 2, France 3, France
4, France 5 and Réseau France Outre-mer (RFO) with their absorption
parent company France Télévisions. The channels were thus brought together
legally to form since 2009, the national program society
France Télévisions.

The aim of this merger is to combine the strengths of each of the
channels to meet the major audiovisual challenges of the 21st century
shared functions, pooling resources, ensuring
access to certain services for all the actors of the group: this is
the spirit in which this merger took place.

Achieving these objectives requires, in particular, the establishment of a
new organization. An important first step has taken place early
2010, under the leadership of France’s previous management team
Televisions. Adjustments were made in late 2010 and early 2011 by the
the new president of France Télévisions, which was
legitimate. At the editorial level, his logic consists in
responsibility for the antennas. However, the
support functions - finance, communication, human resources - and
the technological and manufacturing functions remain of course
pooled.

The implementation of this joint venture is still under way,
both in terms of technical tools and in terms of the organization of
teams. Previously employees belonged to different schemes, and
I dare say to different cultures. Today, the goal
is well within the framework of the negotiations that are underway with the
social partners and representative institutions, to build a
common work culture, a shared corporate culture, strong in
values of public service, a culture able to build an identity
strong for France Télévisions.

Over the term of the Contract, I have no doubt that France Télévisions will lead
project. It is a priority strategy to improve the
management but also to increase the volume and quality of its activity.

Ladies and gentlemen, I won’t tell you anything in you
Recalling that the budgetary framework remains extremely constrained,
in 2012. France Télévisions' business plan is
currently being finalized. The issue is considerable: it is about
allow the public audiovisual service to continue to address all
public, to play its unique participation in the new environment
digital. It is to meet this ambition that I am fighting to ensure that
the missions of France Télévisions are financed
consistent, commensurate with this challenge and our ambitions for audiovisual
French public in Europe.