Budget for French culture on the rise

World Brief

By ALISON JAMES

State funding for the audiovisual sector in France will rise 2.4% in 2005 to $3.2 billion, the government announced Wednesday.

The TV license fee collected for the public broadcasters will go down by 61 cents to $142.30, but the government expects tax collection reforms to bring in an extra $103 million, culture minister Renaud Donnedieu de Vabres said.

The budget for culture, excluding the TV and cinema industries, rose 5.9% to $3.4 billion.