French CSA : public consultation on the implementation of law on media freedom, independence and pluralism

On 16 March 2017, the French Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel (CSA) launched a public consultation on the implementation of the law of 14 November 2016 aimed at strengthening media freedom, independence and pluralism.

The deadline for submission of contributions is 18 April 2017. They should preferably be sent electronically to the following address: consultation_loi_2016-1524@csa.fr

Context of the consultation:

Law 2016-1524 of 14 November 2016 aimed at strengthening media freedom, independence and pluralism has entrusted new tasks to the CSA providing in particular that:

• the CSA guarantees the honesty, independence and pluralism of the information and the programmes that contribute to it;

• the agreement (with private publishers) or the terms of reference (with national programme companies) shall lay down the operating procedures of the committees in charge of honesty, independence and pluralism of information and programmes, which are set up within any publisher of a national general radio or television service which broadcasts programmes of political and general information over the air.

The present consultation takes place in a context where the Government has recently asked the CSA for its opinion on a draft decree modifying the specifications of the national programme companies (France Télévisions, Radio France and the company in charge of the audiovisual sector outside France). This draft decree provides for the operating procedures of the committees in charge of honesty, independence and pluralism of information and programmes for these national programme companies, to which refers the opinion of the CSA on 22 February 2017. The operating procedures of these committees are therefore excluded from the scope of this consultation.

However, the principles that guided the CSA analysis on the draft decree are also reflected in its proposals on the functioning of the committees set up with private publishers, while taking into account their specificities.

Source : Site Web du CSA

• CSA's Opinion 2017-05 of 22 February 2017 on the draft decree modifying the specifications of the national programme companies France Télévisions, Radio France and the company in charge of the audiovisual sector outside France (FR)

• Public consultation on the implementation of Law of 14 November 2016 aiming at reinforcing media freedom, independence and pluralism (FR)