Address given by Frédéric Mitterrand on the occasion of the introduction to the TV5 Monde Ministerial Conference

As you know, this is the first time that the Minister of Culture
and Communication has the honour to assume the presidency of the
TV5 Ministerial Conference, in close collaboration with the Ministry
Foreign and European Affairs. I am pleased to welcome you
at home, in the Salon des Maréchaux, for this 22nd conference
dedicated to TV5, which marks a major milestone in life
of the chain - a chain I know well, and for which I have a
special attachment.
For me, this ministerial conference is above all an opportunity to
reaffirm France’s deep attachment to TV5, the fruit of our
collaboration between Canada, Quebec, the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles
and Switzerland.
Proof of this attachment of France, I take advantage of these few words
to reassure all TV5 partners, who were able to feed
some concerns about the tax adjustment to TV5
World in France, linked to the way in which grants
programs. As I requested, as well as the
Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs, represented here, I you
confirms that this tax adjustment will be offset
France. This is a strong gesture by our country to
to ensure the stability of TV5 Monde in a difficult context.
As a representative of cultural diversity and as a
service de la francophonie, TV5 is an essential pillar of the
France. To my knowledge, this is the only one
antenna where we can meet and share regularly evenings
related to French-language cinematography, by contributing
major way to their circulation: I refer to the last evenings
specials dedicated to Belgian cinema or the night of Quebec fiction,
broadcast last June. You also know my attachment to
African continent, and all the initiatives that make it possible to
know and value its cultural works and its creators. I do not
can therefore be pleased with the initiatives taken by TV5
organize on its antennae a cycle of African cinema in spring
to promote African fiction at the latest TV fiction festival
Rochelle, or to dedicate a special program for the
last African photography biennials, in Bamako, where I had the
pleasure to be here this year.
TV5 has always known, and before many others, how to exploit the new
media and the opportunities that digital offers to adapt, and
complete a complex television broadcast, organized in signals that
time zones on the planet. I think in
particular to the channel’s website, and its service offering,
especially among francophiles and teaching communities; I
also think about launching the iPhone app, there are now more
2 years, which at the time was a pioneering approach, or at the site
TV5+, allowing access to television programmes
remedial.
As you know, as part of the audiovisual reform
committed in 2008, the AEF Group was created and
TV5 Monde, of which the AEF is the main shareholder (49%), is one of them
partner. It is indeed essential for France to have a
global and coordinated approach to our international media. It does not appear
not conceivable for us, in the international media competition,
see France 24, RFI and TV5 Monde play against each other. AEF and TV5
World must work hand in hand.
Of course, the special status of TV5 Monde in this context is
clearly defined: everything that has been done since 2008 and the signing of
the Entente demonstrates this, and marks France’s attachment to TV5 in its
multilateral dimension, which is precisely its wealth. TV5 World is
a multilateral chain, steeped in Belgian and Quebec cultures,
Canadian, French and Swiss; this is its strength and success. The
strategic orientations of the chain can only be derived from a
dialogue between the donor governments of the chain, in
respect for the operating principles of TV5 that we have defined
collectively.
In this regard, as President of the Governments, I welcome
funders of TV5 for a few more weeks, from the
cooperation of Canada, Quebec, the Fédération Wallonie-
Brussels, Switzerland and France in the last two years. In
effect, the quality of trade between the chain partners must be
highlighted. The work that has taken place over the past two years - like the
Senior Officials Meeting yesterday, including my
reported to me - are proof that the governance
multilateral TV5 is an asset.
Today, I am confident in the future of the channel because I know our
TV5 is deeply committed, and I welcome that.
It is under this sign that I wish to place today’s work.
Called by other commitments to the President of the Republic,
I will unfortunately not be able to stay with you for the totality of this
meeting, but I entrust it to my teams to pilot it until its
term.
Thank you.