3 million this year to nearly 66 million in 2012

It is done. After months of difficult negotiations with the Government, France television has just put the finishing touches to its business plan for the period 2009-2012. This plan was presented last night by Board of directors by the President of the audiovisual group, Patrick de Carolis. The authorities have accepted the principle of a return to operational equilibrium in 2011. In the meantime, in 2009 and 2010, France television will show a deficit of operation (excluding costs related to the transition to the single undertaking) respectively 53 million euro and 63 million euros. The net result will be his beneficiary in 2012, after 100 million euros of loss in 2009 and 2010 and 35 million in 2011. Direct consequence of the removal of advertising but the crisis of the audiovisual sector, the time is to the economy in France television. Between 2009 and 2012, it is expected that program costs will on average increase of 1.5 per year (see chart), against an average increase of 2.7 per year over the period 2007-2010. The financing of works is governed by the regulatory obligations of the group, but serious savings on stream, and programs, to a lesser extent on information have already been implemented. On the other hand, structure costs should decline to be reduced from 520,9 million euros this year to 452,1 million in 2012. Already last year, operating expenses were below 60 million compared to what was planned in the budget.

900 people

France television will launch more quickly, hopefully before the start of the summer, a plan of voluntary retirements for the employees to update their quarters. Some 900 of them are affected by 2012, or more than 10 of the permanent workforce (8500 persons). On the other hand, the public group does not plan to carry out a social plan. End of 2008, this assumption that would have involved about 1,000 people had indeed been discussed with the Government, but was abandoned. If such a plan would have certainly helped return the balance from 2010, the Elysee Palace finally found him too risky politically. For its part, France television was not not more favourable, not wanting to add social tensions at a time where the group already reorganized thoroughly. The scenario of the abandoned social plan, the Government could therefore only endorse the scheme put forward by the Group of a return to balance in 2011.

But Patrick de Carolis hopes to rely on other sources of savings: firstly those related to the implementation of common strings, authorized directions now single company of the group status. "Some price of acquisitions of programs such as the films have already declined", it is argued in France television. Finally, the judgment of analog broadcast, scheduled for November 2011, should also have several tens of millions of euros in savings, while analog broadcast now costs it 160 million per year. But this date, and the savings that it engenders, is moot. Another factor of uncertainty: validation by the APF of the specifications of France television, and its possible financial implications.

In this context, the success of the retirement plan is therefore crucial for France television. Savings including to fund future developments, such as the rise of the information portal, the creation of regional Web TV, high definition, non-linear offers as catch-up television... On the duration of the business plan, it is expected that the envelope devoted to these developments is 14.3 million this year to nearly 66 million in 2012. A few tens of millions of euros that are modest and remain well short of the 200 million mentioned in the report of the Commission Copé for the financing of the "new goal" France television. Unsurprisingly, the reality is otherwise more complicated than a report.