In a pop-up bookstore in Nantes (Loire-Atlantique), February 1, 2024 (AFP/Archives/LOIC VENANCE)
The professional organization of publishers called on the government on Wednesday to ban television advertising for books, fearing “an impoverishment of literary creation”.
Taking a position on a decree of April 5 which authorizes this advertising, on an experimental basis for two years, the National Publishing Union (SNE) published a press release to request “its repeal”.
This decree “worries publishing professionals who fear a weakening of the sector and an impoverishment of literary creation”, he reported.
The Ministry of Culture opened a public consultation on this measure in January and February, the results of which have not been made public. Then the decree was published in the Official Journal in a way which, according to Madrigall group boss Antoine Gallimard, “surprised” the entire sector.
The SNE indicated that it had “declared itself unfavorable” during this consultation, in order not to “unbalance a book sector which is valued for its great diversity”.
He “deplores that the phase of experimentation on books opened by the decree is not subject to any precise supervision and is not accompanied by any commitment in favor of increased promotion of books and reading on television “, he added.
Only one publishing house has broadcast a television spot since then, XO Editions, which claims to have “continued to campaign” for this form of advertising.
The booksellers’ organization, the French Library Union, holds the same position as that of publishers. “Along with the entire industry, we have always been firmly opposed to television advertising for books. And we reaffirmed this during the public consultation,” its general delegate, Guillaume Husson, explained to AFP on Monday.
© 2024 AFP
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