Sarkozy

The imminent departure from public life of  George Bush will make  life  so much more dull. Luckily, much nearer to home, Nicolas Sarkozy, should take up some of the slack.

Later today (Jan 5) prime-advertising will disappear from state-owned  television channels in France.

Monsieur Le President has decreed that the decision is part of his master plan to create a public television service to "rival the quality of the BBC."

It's very flattering of  course to hear a  French President admit in public that something about Britain is superior  to  France - if not exactly the food.

The slight problem is trying to get to grips with why exactly French television will necessarily improve by taking away a large chunk of the income of France 2  and  France  3  which may, or may not be returned in its entirety though a tax on advertising revenue.

If an absence of ads was the answer to the problem then the quality of the BBC after more than 80 years without ads should be totally magical instead of merely not so bad  as French public television.

The cynics have it  right here.

The main beneficiary of the move which has  yet to formally pass into French law is the French commercial channel TF1. Audiences will soar at TF1 and advertising revenue - will at least hold up better than it otherwise would have in a recession.

The fact that TF1 just happens to be controlled by Martin  Bouygues, godfather to one of President Sarkozy's children is of course completely coincidental.

Conspiracy theorists point to another part of the broadcasting package - the fact that in future the Elysee Palace will be able to nominate directly the head of France Televisions, the public broadcasting organisation. 

Maybe President Sarkozy has got it right all along. The organisation and financing of the  BBC is far superior to anything that happens in France.

But don't hold  your breath waiting for an improvement in programme quality on France 2 and France 3.

ends