TF1 og France 2 : tvillingsjeler i den franske fjernsynskonkurransen? : en sammenliknende analyse av programflaten i en privat og en offentlig fjernsynskanal

Abstract

De siste tyve årene har kringkastingen i Europa endret seg radikalt. Oppløsningen av fjernsynsmonopol, privatiseringer og økende konkurranse mellom ulike fjernsynskanaler har - ifølge mange TV-seere og medieforskere - ikke ført til et mangfold i programtilbudet. Den generelle oppfatningen er at public service kringkastingen blir mer kommersiell, og at programtilbudet i det offentlige og private fjernsynskanalene likner hverandre. Men flere analyser av ulike europeiske TV -kanaler framhever likevel at fjernsynssituasjonen varierer en del fra land til land.

Denne oppgaven belyser hvorvidt det tradisjonelle skillet mellom public service-kringkastingen og kommersielt fjernsyn er særlig relevant for å kunne definere de to franske TV-kanalene télévision Fracaise (TF1) og France 2 (FR2). Formålet med oppgaven er å sammenlikne de to kanalene i lys av konvergenstesen. Fjernsynsmarkedet i Frankrike har ekspandert og i dag finansieres alle kanaler helt eller delvis av reklame. Oppgaven argumenterer for at den tilnærmet like finansieringen og de samme programforpliktelsen gjør at programtilbudet og programleggingen i de to kanalene likner hverandre. Den tydeligste forskjellen mellom kanalene finner vi om natten. Det betyr at jo mindre kanalene kjemper om seerne og reklamepengene, jo mer ulik programprofil har de. Men konvergenstesen får ikke full støtte fordi den private kanalen TF1 sender en større andel rimelige og serielle programmer, slik som game shows, serier og føljetonger, mens den offentlige kanalen har en mer utpreget informerende og kulturell programprofil. Disse funnene forklares først og fremst med at TF1 er avhengig av profitt, mens FR2 har et moralsk ansvar som offentlig kanal og den må legitimere lisensinntekten overfor seerne og myndighetene.

During the last two decades, tendencies towards convergence between public service- and commercial television have been observed and discussed in various European countries. Nevertheless, several studies of different television stations have proved that the theory of convergence is reflecting more of a transnational tendency, than a rule.

This thesis discusses whether the traditional distinction between commercial television and public service broadcasting is stil valid. It focuses on two of the French national television stations TF1 and France 2, and look at possible consequenses of the competition between them. The aim of the analysis can be seen as twofold. The first project is to define the respective stations in the light of their institutional and organisational structures. Next, the analysis highlights similarities and differences in their programming strategies and scheduling practices.

A main argument in the thesis is that, as a conseqenses of the development, expansion and competition in the French television market, it has proved increasingly difficult to distinguish clearly between public service broadcasting and commercial television. Even though the two French television channels have different types of ownership. I argue that similar sources of revenue and programming obligations induce similarities in programming strategies and scheduling practice. The struggle to maximize audiences is present in both channels, especially in time slots when many viewers are available, such as prime time. The most obvious differences between the two French stations can be identified where the audiences available is small. This is most striking during the night-slot. These results support the theory that the less the channels compete for viewers and advertising income, the more different the programme strategies and scheduling practices.

Despite these overriding similarities, the analysis of the programme output points to various differences between the two stations. There is a larger amount of low-cost and "commercial" programmes, such as games shows and (American) serial fiction, on the private station TF1. The public station France 2, in total, offers a greater amount of high-cost production and "serious" programmes, such as information, documentaries and cultural magazines. These results, in turn, expose the limitations of the theory of convergence.