Foreword

The Conseil supérieur de l’audiovisuel’s regulatory activity was very varied in 2007 and related to many fields, such as, society, culture, technology and economics, while being attentive to the wishes of viewers and listeners and taking heed of the needs and constraints of the professionals. First, the Conseil continued the transition to “full digitization”, i.e., to digital audiovisuals accessible to all, serving communities throughout our country, creating powerful leverage for creation and innovation. The success of digital terrestrial television with the public was confirmed, as evidenced by equipment levels and channels’ audience ratings. Soon, the potential of digital audiovisuals will be available to the vast majority of the French public with a richer supply of national and local programs, a revolutionary improved quality with high definition, and mobility with personal mobile television or digital radio. The work to extend both coverage and supply, develop new services and meet the expectations of the French public is being continued with unfailing vigor in 2008.

These innovations show that audiovisuals are a dynamic industry that knows how to invest in new technologies to meet the expectations of society. Tomorrow, our fellow citizens will wish to receive their channels in high definition, benefit from the extended geographical coverage of personal mobile television, get more national and local channels on DTT and have access to digital radio all over the country. These will provide, not only new means of information and entertainment, of accessing knowledge and culture but also assets for the entire audiovisual industry in terms of production, of broadcasting, for the technical side of it and for telecommunications. Terrestrial airwave broadcasting (diffusion hertzienne terrestre) is the only way to ensure free access by all of our fellow citizens to these innovations without any digital divide.

In 2007, the Conseil also wished to ensure that audiovisuals fully serve society. For such purpose, it reinforced its monitoring of content, paying particular attention to ethics, to the programs’ accessibility for disabled persons, to the protection of children and adolescents, to fighting surreptitious advertising and to guaranteeing pluralism of political opinions. The Conseil also took initiatives to foster the representation of diversity and to protect the right to information. It strove to relay to the audiovisual operators the listeners’ and the viewers’ expectations on all issues. This is particularly essential in this time of farreaching change when our fellow citizens are expressing great expectations in terms of regulation of the new audiovisual services.

The growth of the Internet poses the question of the regulation of audiovisual services that are broadcast through this medium, whether they are linear or non-linear. The Conseil has been regulating linear television and radio services broadcast through the Internet since 2004. It is a more flexible kind of regulation based on either, a legal agreement being entered into (conventionnement) or, a simple registration procedure (déclaration). However, the development of non-linear services, such as video-on-demand or catch-up TV raises the issue of extending regulation to on-demand audiovisual media services. Such extension is provided for in the “Audiovisual Media Services” European Directive. The translation process of the Directive into French law has been initiated.

In this context of new services and of new modes of, transmission, broadcasting and signal reception, the Conseil’s regulation takes on a growing technological and economic dimension. The interest for content displayed by network operators and the development of television and radio channels on non-linear services are fundamental aspects. The kind of regulation implemented by the Conseil’s fits into this new context and continues to pursue two objectives: first, ensuring equitable balance between the three poles of French audiovisuals namely, the state-owned sector, the large privatelyowned groups and the rich fabric of small and medium enterprises in the fields of production, technique and broadcasting; second, favoring an approach taking into account the economic, social and cultural benefits for our society in the long run.

It has, therefore, become necessary to better take into account the importance of content in the economic system as content itself has become a creator of economic and cultural wealth on all networks. Content will thus remain at the core of the Conseil’s regulation. It is an original kind of regulation which is nonetheless still meaningful in these times of profound change. Losing the originality of audiovisual regulation would lead to a loss in the specificity of content, and to foregoing objectives such as diversity, pluralism or the expression of French culture. This specificity must be better recognized; the notion that content represents long term economic, cultural and social wealth must be brought to bear at the European and international levels.

The Conseil thus intends to develop an ambitious vision of the advantages of the digital revolution, one that harmoniously combines both content and networks, so that France win these two essential battles for society.

Michel BOYON
Chairman of the CSA