The Ministers reaffirmed their commitment to this great multilateral francophone project, which constitutes a fundamental tool for multilateral francophone cooperation and the expression of cultural diversity.

TV5, the francophone operator, provides programme services in the French language to more than 181 million households, 24 hours a day, making it the 2nd largest television network worldwide, after MTV and ahead of CNN. It is viewed every day by 26 million television viewers in more than 203 countries. Eight regional signals, 7 of which are generated and broadcast from Paris, are broadcast to France/Belgium/Switzerland, Europe, Africa, Asia and the Pacific, the East, Latin America and the United States; in addition, there is the signal from TV5 Quebec Canada, which is broadcast from Montreal.

The future of TV5

In an increasingly competitive market, the partners agreed to inject more dynamism into TV5, the major operator in the French-speaking world. Whilst recalling the founding principles of the French-speaking channel, such as pluralism, a generalist/multilateral character and cultural diversity, the Ministers discussed strategic orientations, stressing the programmes and the new interactive services, with a particular view to revising France's external audiovisual policy.

The Ministers acknowledged the report presented by the committee of experts chaired by François Bonnemain (chairman and managing director of TV5 Monde) and Suzanne Gouin (chairman and managing director of TV5 Québec Canada). This committee was mandated to analyse the possible technical convergence of TV5 Monde and France 24, in parallel with the reform of French external audiovisual policy. These expert's reflections related to the following aspects: marketing and integrated distribution, synergy of support systems, links between editorial staff, joint monitoring of technological developments and the new possibilities provided by the internet.

In addition, the perspective of global marketing was brought up in the appendix to the experts' report, envisaging the possibility of an umbrella brand which would be able to position each of the operators' brands whilst respecting the partners' autonomy and identity.

On the basis of their discussions, the Ministers expressed a wish for the French section to prepare a document within an intergovernmental working group, taking account of the considerations specific to the partner governments, with a view to reaching a satisfactory agreement around mid-December, to be validated by Ministers before the first quarter of 2008.

All the participants, aware of the importance of supporting TV5 Monde's budget in 2008, agreed to make additional budgetary efforts. 

The Ministers welcomed the excellent results achieved in accordance with the main axes of the TV5 Monde strategic plan, adopted in 2005 and extending over several years, such as increasing subtitling and developing the schedules. Winning audiences and ensuring their loyalty has been improved thanks to a regular programming policy, a modular schedule which takes time differences into account and adaptation to local consumption habits. The greatest efforts which have been made related to language subtitling and youth programming: these best relate to the network's goals of accessibility and attractiveness.

The Conference of Ministers responsible for TV5 brings together ministers from TV5's stakeholder governments: Canada, the French Community of Belgium, France, Quebec and Switzerland. The so-called partner governments which regularly contribute to financing TV5 on a voluntary basis also participate in this Conference, as does the Conseil international des radio-télévisions d'expression française (CIRTEF - International Council of French-Speaking Radio and Television) and the Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF).

Canada will exercise the presidency of the Ministers responsible for TV5 in 2008-2009

Participants at the 20th Conference:

Moritz LEUENBERGER, Federal Councillor, Head of the Swiss Federal Department of the Environment, Transport, Energy and Communications;
Fadila LAANAN, Minister of Culture and Audiovisual Affairs of the French Community of Belgium;
Jean-Marie Bockel, French Secretary of State for Francophony and Cooperation, accompanied by Christian Philip, Personal Representative of the President of the Republic for Francophony, Georges-Marc Benamou, Adviser to the President of the Republic for Culture and Audiovisual Affairs;
Christine St-Pierre, Quebec's Minister of Culture, Communications and the Feminine Condition
Marie-Geneviève Mounier, Assistant Deputy Minister, International and Intergovernmental Affairs and Sport at the Ministry of Canadian Heritage;
Marc COUSINEAU, Cooperation Advisor to the Cabinet of the General Secretary of the Francophony, representative of Abdou DIOUF, Secretary General of the Francophony;
Guila THIAM, Secretary General of CIRTEF;
François BONNEMAIN, Chairman and Managing Director of TV5 Monde;
Suzanne GOUIN, Chairman and Managing Director of TV5 Québec Canada.

TV5's broadcaster partners:

Arte France, France Télévisions, Radio-Canada, Radio-Télévision de la Communauté française de Belgique (RTBF), Télé-Québec and Télévision Suisse Romande (TSR), and the television stations of the South through CIRTEF

TV5 Monde: a strengthened dynamic