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France goes where Canada fears to tread by Barbara Shecter

Jan 8, 2008

Source : National Post

French President Nicolas Sarkozy is proposing to ban advertising on public television, and tax private TV operators and Internet access to finance ad-free state television.

In a speech delivered on Tuesday, Mr. Sarkozy said he also plans to get rid of an English-language 24-hour news network in favour of an all-French news channel.

In June of 2006, a Canadian senate committee recommended that Canada's public TV broadcaster, the CBC, get rid of commercials. The committee's report, three years in the making, said the reliance on advertising caused the broadcaster to focus too heavily on ratings success, and put it into competition with private, profit-seeking broadcasters.

But, last April, Bev Oda -- then Canada's Heritage Minister -- rejected most of the Senate committee's recommendations.

© National Post