The abolition of the fee for public broadcasting wanted by Emmanuel Macron “resembles a fool’s bargain”, estimated Sunday the three societies of journalists (SDJ) of France 2, France 3 and franceinfo.fr in a common forum.
For the authors of the forum, the government will not be able to simultaneously restore purchasing power to the French (its stated motivation for the abolition of the royalty), and guarantee the means of public broadcasting, as it claims to want to do. “Either the State continues to finance public broadcasting and mobilizes public money, therefore that of the taxpayer. Either it does not compensate for the end of the fee and therefore reduces the means of public broadcasting, ”underline the three associations. They also believe that the independence of the audiovisual public service in its duty to inform and its ability to “investigate public and economic authorities” are threatened.
The fee is “a tax directly allocated to the financing of public broadcasting”, recall the SDJ. “Once voted, it no longer depends on the (good) will of power and its (bad) moods”.
The new mechanism not yet specified
The fee of 138 euros, paid by households with a television, brings in more than 3 billion euros net per year. Its removal is a campaign promise from Emmanuel Macron, re-elected president in April. During the last Council of Ministers, the government announced its intention to act very quickly in the event of victory of the presidential majority in the legislative elections, in the amending finance bill (PLFR) presented after the election.
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The mechanism that will replace this mode of financing has not yet been specified. This question was at the heart of a mission by the General Inspectorate of Finance (IGF) and the General Inspectorate of Cultural Affairs (IGAC), mandated in October by the executive.
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