Broadcasting legislation in France over the past twenty years. Main themes, shortcomings and unanswered questions

Summary: A comparison of two images of the French audiovisual landscape, with an interval of twenty years between them (1972-92), reveals that the development of broadcasting law during the past two decades has been broadly consistent, it has promoted the constitution of a private pole along with public services henceforth freed from political control, and the replacement of a statutory approach by regulation entrusted to an independent authority disposing of the required legal and material means. This evolution did not, however, take place without prevarication. For three steps forwards there was at least one step amiss, or even backwards. Many questions remain unanswered, whether on the role of the regulatory authority, the contents and financing of public service programmes, the status of communications firms or, more generally, the responsibilities of the public authorities in this sector.