Paris could face similar hurdles for 'Le Beeb'

Proposals by president Nicolas Sarkozy to strip advertising from France's state channels and create an umbrella organisation for France's international broadcasting efforts come as the BBC's remit and funding model are once again under scrutiny. The BBC has been funded since 1922 by a licence fee, currently a levy on every household with a television set. Senior executives admit that fragmenting audiences mean it is becoming "more problematic" to defend that model in future. (Financial Times)

French consider effects of Sarkozy TV revolution

Nicolas Sarkozy, the French president, on Tuesday proposed scrapping advertising on France’s public television stations and financing them through a levy on the advertising revenues of private stations and a tax on internet and mobile phone operators’ turnover. The plan, still in its early stages, was the opening move in a much broader liberalisation of France’s broadcasting industry, including changes to ownership rules and advertising restrictions, analysts said. (Financial Times)