CSA boss opposes reintroduction of advertising on pubcaster

Olivier Schrameck, the chief executive of French media regulator the CSA, has expressed his opposition to any return of advertising on public broadcaster France Télévisions’ main channel after 20:00.

Olivier Schrameck

Speaking to Le Monde newspaper, Schrameck said that public service broadcasting had a specific role to play and that the introduction of advertising would have a trivializing effect and could bring into question the role of the public broadcaster itself. The said the broadcaster’s audience is averse to the idea of introducing advertising.

France Télévisions faces significant cuts to its budget next year, with the new government requesting economies to the tune of €80 million on top of that previsioned by the previous administration.

France Télévisions director-general Delphine Ernotte has previously said that the broadcaster could reintroduce advertising and match the additional requested cuts in additional revenue.

His opposition to advertising notwithstanding, Schramek said he was worried about the impact of the cuts on France Télévisions and in particular on its impact on Ernotte’s commitment to finance new fiction programming.

France Télévisions is facing an additional blow from the imminent banning of advertising in programmes for children, which the broadcaster currently carries. A proposal by Senator André Gattolin and other legislators to remove advertising aimed at kids on the pubcaster’s channels was signed into law by President François Hollande in December.