Remember Paris

I have sincerely enjoyed my visit to Paris and having the opportunity to visit with so many interesting people who share with me the business of broadcasting, and the love of history and the cultural arts. If you should ever visit, I highly recommend all of the tourist stops and the hidden treasures that enhance the uniqueness of this country. You will leave culturally enriched and have a greater appreciation for the country and its people.

I sincerely thank the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs for offering to me this valuable program to experience. A special thank you to Stephane Casteran, coordinator of the Guest journalist program, who attended many of the meetings. And to my Atlanta neighbor, French Consul General Philippe Ardanaz, who made it all a reality, I thank you and your staff, in particular, Claire Collobert, Press Attache, and Katherine Wickhorst, Deputy Cultural and Press Attache, for coordinating my visit. And, of course, George Tsaklidis (top photo), my interpreter, who provided me with the information for this blog and who also insured that I received good medical care while here. George treated me not only as a professional, but like a friend. His attention to detail and consideration will be remembered. And many thanks to my driver, Sam Jasmine (bottom photo), who safely zipped us through the bustling city traffic from meeting to meeting. The hospitality of the French always makes me want to rush back to their beautiful country. And lastly, I must thank Wayne Sharpe, Director of New Media for Public Broadcasting Atlanta, for developing my blogger site, and also many thanks to my Executive Assistant, Tammy Walker, who assisted with the coordination of this trip, and to my wife, Paulette, who helped throughout.

Merci beau coup

A station with 25 million viewers in more than 203 countries

My last meeting for the day and for the project was at the largest broadcaster of French language programming,TV5MONDE, formerly known as TV5. David Richard, Assistant Director of programming led the meeting and gave me a tour of the station. Launched in 1984, TV5MONDE is the leading French language channel broadcasting 24 hours a day, seven days a week without commercial interruptions. A space for plurality, the station is a kind of “general practitioner,” which offers an original vision of the world via information programming which aims to introduce and share with its viewers a diversity of cultures and points of view. It reaches more than 171 million households and 25 million viewers everyday in over 203 countries, making TV5MONDE the 2nd largest distributed channel in the world that is broadcast via 8 separate feeds. Programming originates from 5 different countries, including France, Switzerland, Belgium, Canada and French speaking Africa. There are 8 regional signals: TV5MONDE France/Belgium/Switzerland, TV5MONDE Europe, TV5MONDE Orient, TV5MONDE Africa, TV5MONDE Asia, TV5MONDE Latin America, TV5MONDE Quebec and Canada, and TV5MONDE USA. TV5MONDE has been available in the U.S.market since 1998 as a pay-tv channel and is now received in more than 270,000 households in the U.S. alone. Programming includes 18 daily newscasts, subtitled films and series, entertainment programs, documentaries, cultural programs and international sports coverage. Finally, over the last years, TV5MONDE has built key relationships with U.S. distributors such as Time Warner Cable, Cox Communications, Comcast Cable and Dish Network.Today, in New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Seattle, Boston, Washington DC, Houston and Chicago, TV5MONDE is one of the most successful International channels.

Promoting French culture throughout the world

This afternoon I met with Sophie Renaud, Director for artistic exchanges and co-operation with Culturesfrance. CULTURESFRANCE is the agency of both the ministry of Foreign Affairs and the ministry of Culture and Communications that is responsible for promoting French culture throughout the world and international cultural exchanges. It was created in 2006 as a result of the fusion between AFAA (the French association for artistic action) and the ADFP (association for the dissemination of French thought). It works on a daily basis in collaboration with other French and foreign partners in the private and public sector, at city or regional levels in France or Europe. They have also developed cultural partnerships in the United States with Chicago and New York. It would be a wonderful concept for Atlanta to have this same cultural synergy.

An audiovisual archive in Paris

Today George, and Sam, my driver, were at the hotel early this morning to start our day at the Institut national de l”Audiovisuel, or the INA (National Audiovisual Institute). I had a very informative meeting with Max Benoit, Associate director of the INA, who explained the organization's responsibilities. Interestingly, it is a repository of all French radio and television audiovisual archives, with over 70 years of sound and audiovisual program recordings, totalling 3 million hours. Since its creation in 1974, INA has been carrying out the conservation, research and training which has made it a precursor and world leader in archiving, digitization, and safeguarding of audiovisual assets, as well as the technological innovation relating to these two domains. On the strength of its know-how, INA is now active in all the continents, offering its services to international players in the audiovisual field. They are involved in selling images and sounds, audiovisual engineering, professional training, international projects and partnerships in research and creation.

A visit to France's National Assembly

For my next meeting, I visited the National Assembly. It is always a remarkable experience to visit the halls of the legislature of another country. I am often amazed to learn just how similar we legislate. Claude Joly, from the Communication’s Department of the National Assembly, did a great job in explaining and giving me a tour of the French National Assembly. The French National Assembly is the lower house of the bicameral Parliament of France under the Fifth Republic. The other is the Senate. The National Assembly consists of 577 members, known as députés (deputies). Each elected by a single-member constituency. Deputies are elected in each constituency through a two-round system. Two hundred and eighty-nine seats are required for a majority. It is presided over by a president (currently Bernard Accoyer), normally from the largest party represented and assisted by vice- presidents from across the represented political spectrum. The term of the National Assembly is five years; however, the President of the Republic may dissolve the Assembly. While touring this historic building, one of the amazing facts is that it also serves as the home of the President of the Assembly. I was given a private tour and was overwhelmed by the beauty and grandeur of the great halls and rooms filled with beautiful tapestry, along with great works of art. It was nothing short of magnificent.

The French network responsible for broadcasting from the National Assembly of France

This afternoon I had the pleasure of visiting the Parliament Channel, La Chaine Parlementaire, commonly known as LCP and meeting Richard Michel, the Chief Executive Officer of LCP. LCP is the French television network responsible for broadcasting activity from the National Assembly of France and the Senate of France. It is available through digital terrestrial television "TNT". It was created in 1999 at the request of the National Assembly of France to broadcast in a way comparable to BBC Parliament. It started by broadcasting twice a week, Tuesday and Wednesday, in the afternoons on France 3. The following year, it started broadcasting activity from the Senate of France. It broadcasts 24 hours from the Assembly followed by 24 hours from the Senate in a pre-arranged order.

A look at France's public television station

This morning began with an interesting meeting at France Televisions, France’s public television station. My meeting was led by Herve Michel, Deputy director international relations, international affairs (left in picture), and Jean-Loup Calazel, Official representative, International programs delegate, international affairs (right in picture), both from France Televisions. Joining us also from the Ministry of Foreign and European Affairs was Stephane Casteran, and, of course, my translator, George Tsaklidis. Briefly, a little about France Televisions, it was created in 2000 and it is the largest French audiovisual group. On any given day, close to 4 out of 10 French citizens or residents watch its programs on their 5 channels. As you know, being a public television organization, the group plays an important role in social and cultural life, thus imposing upon it big ambitions and constant demands and requirements in defining the choice of its programming. Through this meeting, I was able to begin dialogue in developing a partnership with France Televisions to bring french cultural programming to the Atlanta market.

Of course, between my meetings, I had more doctor’s appointments in an effort to ascertain the cause of this excruciating pain I am experiencing. Since yesterday’s doctor’s appointment, I am feeling better, but the pain persists. Today’s x rays and sonogram, however, indicated a slipped disc. Pain medicine and a back belt shall carry me through.