26. French media in the 80-90s. Twentieth century.

In the 80-90s. In the French media, the trends that were characteristic of the 70s remain. First of all, it concerns the intensification of competition both between individual types of media and within these types. In the 80-90s, the rapid economic growth of such groups as Ashett, Havas, Ersan continues. At the same time, many enterprises went bankrupt, which further increased concentration. At this time, qualitative and uncharacteristic processes for France: the internationalization of capital; privatization of state-controlled enterprises; the merger of industrial and informational capital; diversification of newspapers, magazines, publishing companies through advertising enterprises and audiovisual media, which led to the creation of multimedia groups. The rapid transition from the state ownership of radio and TV to the predominance of private stimulated all the above processes.

All these processes coincided with cardinal changes in the country's political life: the victory of the French socialists headed by Mitterrand in the presidential elections of 81-88. and two periods of the so-called coexistence of the president of the socialists with the right majority in parliament.

After the victory of the left forces in the elections in 1981, a new political situation developed in France. In the early years, some reforms were carried out, especially in the socio-economic sphere. The nationalization spectrum has expanded, the length of the working week has decreased, the retirement age has decreased, the rights of wage workers have expanded, a tax on a large state has been introduced. The socialists promised to conduct experiments different from the Eastern socialists in France. Their promises were unfulfilled. After liberation in France, powerful and effective channels of propaganda were under state control. The state was a monopolist in audio-visual broadcasting, which controls the activities of the main information agency (Franz-press), the advertising agency Havas and through the company Sofirad most of the so-called peripheral private radio stations. The socialists considered the reform of the audiovisual media as one of their tasks. The new law was adopted in July 1982. It lacks the concept of monopoly. Its main innovations are: the creation of the highest body of audiovisual companies; decentralization of state radio and TV; permission to private broadcasting.

In 84g. a law was passed on limited concentration of finance, publicity and pluralism of printing enterprises. The concentration of capital in one hand is limited to 10%. The law required publication of information about the circulation, annual financial statements, a list of major shareholders, and reports on the sale of more than 20% of the shares. Groups or publications in Paris and the provinces could not exceed the distribution of 10% of national and 10% of regional newspapers.

Won the block of the right parties. A right-wing government was formed, headed by Jacques Chirac. The right, having come to power, stopped the process of nationalization and privatization of nationalized industrial enterprises, including the advertising agency. Havas, which was nationalized back in 45. Some financial companies associated with the media of Paribas and the Bank de Suez were also privatized.

But the most far-reaching consequences were the law of 86g, which allowed the activities of private television stations in France, the transfer to private channels of TV TF1, and also increased the catalog of capital concentration in the media from 10 to 20%. In connection with the advent of commercial radio and TV competition intensifies. The process of concentration of capital has accelerated in the information market. This was reflected in the fact that the concentration of media in France acquired a number of features not previously characteristic of the country. Family clan information enterprises began to collapse, their capital was restructured, the shareholders' form of owners and the corporation were approved as one of the viable forms of the enterprise. Attractive corporations as a form of enterprise consist in the fact that the results of its activities were less affected by failures due to the personal qualities of the owner. The joint-stock form makes capital more mobile and contributes to the concentration of capital. The shares of information enterprises Ashett, Havas, TF1, Expansion, Communication are becoming an increasing number of French. A significant feature of the French media in the 80s was the formation of diversified media information enterprises. On the one hand, horizontal and vertical concentration remained, on the other, all significant traditional publishers of newspaper and magazine groups, as soon as the state monopoly on audio-visual media was destroyed, invested in broadcasting and TV. This led to the formation of a multimedia group. Industrial companies also diversified by investing in print, TV, advertising business. For example, the electronic equipment manufacturing company Matra has acquired a controlling stake in the Ashett Group.

An important phenomenon in the media of this period is the invasion of financial capital. Many large banking companies were owners of one or another part of the media. The media is a dynamic industry and its growth rate is higher than in the average industry. Therefore, contributions to audiovisual funds are beneficial to banks and financial companies. Started in 1986 privatization was headed by Minister of Economy and Denationalization of E.Ballladyur. In 93g. he will lead the French government in the period of the 2nd coexistence. During this period, French industrial enterprises, banks and insurance companies were in tough competition with such giants of the information market as Murdoch, Berlusconi, Berdelsmann. French public opinion gradually evolved from a complete rejection of media privatization to tolerant treatment, even approval. First of all, it concerns the privatization of TF1.

The state monopoly on broadcasting and TV restrains competition, which affects the quality of programs. Privatization contributes to the technical re-equipment and improvement of the quality of broadcasting. The internationalization of capital in the media was a natural continuation of internationalization at the national level. Despite the contradictions existing within the European market, the social trend led to economic integration, i.e. to the merger process.

As part of the integration, the capital of information enterprises is being internationalized. Expansion in the domestic market for such associations as Ashett, Havas, Ersant encounters obstacles in the form of antitrust laws, so the European market for France has become a priority in terms of the internationalization of capital, in addition, the penetration of international capital into the French media is increasing. At the end of the 80s, the economic daily newspaper Eco entered the English group Pirsen Longman, which issues the Financial Times. In the early 90s, investors pushed French publishers into the periodicals market. French magazines were bought up and new ones were created. At the same time, French TV Channel + began to expand its activities.