French state TV strike planned
Funding changes trigger action
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The strike, called for June 18, will involve workers at the France Televisions networks, as well as at Radio France Internationale and the National Audiovisual Institute, the state audiovisual archive service.
Jean-Francois Tealdi, a spokesman for the 10 unions concerned, told Agence France Presse that the strike had been called to “save public service broadcasting” and to “defend the pluralism of information.”
The call for industrial action follows the publication last week of a report by a government commission suggesting new ways to fund public broadcasting.
Advertising restrictions are due to be gradually introduced on France Televisions in September 2009, ahead of a total ban by early 2012.
One proposal under consideration would involve a substantial transfer of state fees allocated to Radio France Internationale and the National Audiovisual Institute, currently totaling $219 million.
Tealdi said the strike decision had been made on Monday, prior to comments by French president Nicolas Sarkozy reaffirming his government’s opposition to any raise in annual TV license fees.
An estimated 15,000 public broadcasting workers took part in a one-day strike on Feb. 13, the largest in the French audiovisual sector since 1974.
