No longer say that France 5 is "the chain of knowledge and knowledge". But rather "education and knowledge", we breath at France Televisions. This slogan is not only communication, but the result of a new editorial course. Because cartoons are about to make a massive return to the chain of "C in the air", "C to you" and "Health magazine". A direct consequence of the announced closure of France 4 and France Ô on August 9.
The decision to lower the curtain on two of the six public channels, taken by the former Minister of Culture Françoise Nyssen in June 2018 to save 60 million, caused the ire of the producers of animation programs, who denounced a "bleeding". Because France 4, since its relaunch in 2014, is the youth channel, the one that offers 4000 hours of animated formats. To reassure, Delphine Ernotte, the President of France Télévisions, promised that the public group would maintain its investments in animation (30 million per year) and even bring this budget to 32 million euros.
3750 hours of cartoons saved
But for two years, it's been a headache for the public group: what to do with these productions, soon to be deprived of a signal? Since December, France Télé has offered a part of it on Okoo, its new digital platform, dedicated to children under 12, free and without ads. “It would have taken a transition over several years to go digital. France 4 and France Ô give exposure and notoriety to our programs stronger than the Internet ”regrets David Michel, director of the production company Cottonwood (“ Ollie & Moon ”). "Despite the closure of France 4, we guarantee on our channels 3750 hours of entertainment per year," reassures Takis Candilis, number 2 of the public audiovisual group. Almost two times less than today (6000 hours).
France 5 and France 3 will therefore open “new youth huts”. And, with a set of musical chairs, it is all the programming of the historic channels that must be reworked. First, France 5 acts as a refuge. Until then, youth programs only occupied its antenna for 6 to 9 hours. Small revolution: they made their return on Wednesday between 3 and 5.30pm since January 8. In September, it will be every weekday. Including at lunch time. Same for France 3 in the morning, except in regions where the morning show with France Bleu is broadcast.
Driven by cartoons, some shows are about to pack their bags to travel from one antenna to another and free up space. Takis Candilis has confirmed it: after seven seasons on France 5, "La Quotidienne", the talk show on consumption and the environment presented at midday by Maya Lauqué and Thomas Isle, will return in September, better exposed on France 2 or France 3.
Sport is also affected
"La Maison des maternelles", whose audiences are dropping, saves its skin on the Cinq, but must broaden its themes to reach more teens. "To chain cartoons with magazines for adults, we need more family programs to serve as a transition," says Takis Candilis. France Ô's “OPJ, Pacifique Sud” soap opera will also switch to one of three national channels, such as the extreme sports magazine “Riding Zone” or “Les Témoins de l'outre mer”, both broadcast on France 3. “Today, the public refers more to its favorite programs and brands than to channels, we insist within the management of France Televisions, where the main strategy comes down to“ complementarity ”. antennas.
Sport is also affected. Because France 4 broadcasts many rugby and athletic events without counting the Dakar. Nothing will change until the end of the Summer Olympics on August 9. “The Paralympic Games ( Editor's note: from August 25 to September 6 ), will be broadcast on France 3, says one of the members of the management team. For the rest, everything will be studied on a case-by-case basis, including to offer them on France 5 ”.
What about the kids?
This great commotion, however, moved employees and suppliers. “There are serious concerns about the ability of the public service to maintain a link, particularly with children. The overwhelming majority of them watch youth programs on their TV screens. They will go from cartoons to "C in the air". Won't they choose to go on a channel that is only for them? "Questions Stéphane Le Bars, general delegate of the Syndicate of Producers of Animation Films (SPFA), who is thinking very hard about the Gulli channel, just bought out by M 6." We are always asking for a debate within the framework of the audiovisual bill, so that deputies can ask for a moratorium on the extinction of France 4 "he continues.
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On Wednesday January 8, only 47,000 people watched the “Okoo” afternoon in France 5, or 0.6% of PDA… A week later, there were 70,000 (1% of PDA). It's better, but it's not much when the chain collects 3.6% on average. And the former boss of France 5, Nathalie Darrigrand, who has become director of the group's programs, has just announced to the teams that she will leave after 31 years at home. Officially, unrelated to this big bang, we swear to France Televisions. But behind the scenes, his disagreement with the editorial strategy and his degraded relations with management were no longer tenable.