French Senate adopts new public audiovisual media law

The French Senate has adopted legislation to secure the independence of the country’s public broadcast organisations, giving media regulator the CSA the right to nominate the chiefs of public TV and radio.

The law had already been approved by the National Assembly, the lower house, in July.

The change means that the presidents of France Télévisions, Radio France and France Médias Monde will be appointed by a slimmed down CSA of seven rather than nine members. Under the previous law, the posts were decided by the council of ministers in consultation with the CSA and the culture committees of both houses.