WORLD PRESS TRENDS - World Association of Newspapers

FRANCE
Discounts
on: post and other transport 50% * rail 70%
telephone 0 telegraph 0
fax 50%**
* Global 50% rebate on the total transportation cost.
** Only applicable to daily newspapers.
Ownership
Does any law exist governing publishing-house ownership, or the
registration of shares in newspaper-publishing companies Yes. No
silent partners are allowed. Shares in publishing companies
must be registered. The holder of the majority of shares is
considered the publisher.
Is there any law prohibiting or restricting foreign companies or
individuals from owning shares, and in particular, the majority of
shares, of domestic daily newspapers Yes. Foreign companies
and individuals may own no more than 20% of the capital in a
company that publishes a newspaper. No individual
shareholder can hold more than 49% of the capital or voting
rights.
Is there any law prohibiting daily newspaper or periodical publishers
from operating radio or television stations in the same locality Yes.
There is a general principle that ownership is restricted to ‘any
two of four’ within the following groups:
National
· Terrestrial/digital terrestrial TV available to four
million people or more
· Cable radio/TV available to 6 million people or
more
· Terrestrial radio available to 30 million people or
more
· 20% of national newspaper circulation
Regional/local
· Regional/local terrestrial TV
· Terrestrial radio available to max 10% of the
regional/local population
· Regional/local TV and radio
· Regional/local newspapers
An amendment has been made to the media concentration law
of September 30 1986 whereby no individual shareholder can
hold more than 49% of the capital or voting rights, either directly
or indirectly, of a TV station broadcasting on terrestrial if that
company’s average annual audience share across all platforms
is greater than 2.5%.
A further amendment states that no individual or legal entity
holding an analogue radio licence may reach more than 150
million listeners, either through its own transmissions, or
through the programming it supplies to other licence-holders,
or through any combination of these.
So as to guarantee disclosure and transparency in the capital structure
and to avert silent partnerships, is there a law or rule making it possible
to determine who actually owns a publishing company Yes. The
law of August 1 1986 prohibits the lending of one’s name to
any publishing company by falsely applying for shares, another
instrument or the purchase of a company.
The shares of any joint venture must be registered, and any
transfer must receive the prior approval of the company’s board
of administrators or supervisory board. Moreover, every
newspaper issue must contain the names of the owners if the
company is not a legal entity, or the designation, registration
office, form and name of the legal representative if the company
is a legal entity.
Is there an antitrust law limiting concentration in the daily press
Yes. The law of November 30 1986 prohibits the acquisition,
takeover or management of a general or political-interest daily
by any individual or legal entity, or by any group of people,
when such an action would permit control or ownership,
directly or indirectly, of the publication if its total circulation is
greater than 30% of the national circulation of the dailies in the
same category.
Are there plans to pass legislation regulating media concentration
No
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WORLD ASSOCIATION OF NEWSPAPERS - WORLD PRESS TRENDS 2003