Source: AFP
While the coronavirus crisis has hit the media hard, the government has released almost 2 billion for the media, out of a total more than 5 billion for culture and the media, since March, he announced at the end of the week.
These figures cover a wide variety of measures. In the audiovisual and communication sector, the envelope reached 985 million euros in total. The bulk (845 million) concerns cross-cutting measures to support the economy (partial activity, loans guaranteed by the State, exemptions from charges, etc.).
Two specific measures have been taken: a start-up tax credit on the expenditure for the creation of television channels, radio and on-demand audiovisual services (for 110 million) and support for the costs of broadcasting local radio and television (for 30 million).
In the cinema and the moving image, 320 million were mobilized, counting the transverse devices. The filming compensation fund in the event of Covid, announced at the beginning of May, was budgeted, as planned, at 50 million.
This support comes at a time when the audiovisual media and the cinema are healing the wounds linked to the coronavirus, with a massive shutdown of filming. According to a study by the Ministry of Culture, the audiovisual and cinema sector should lose 20% of its turnover in 2020, or 4,9 billion euros.
666 million for the press
The press, doubly affected by Presstalis crisis and the loss advertising revenue due to the coronavirus, also benefits from a number of emergency measures. And a larger sector plan should be announced very soon.
For the time being, 666 million in aid have been announced, bearing, again, for the most part (450 million) on devices that cut across all sectors.
Among the specific aids of this envelope are 156 million for Presstalis and a more targeted support of 40 million within the framework of the amending finance bill.
This one intended for the most fragile actors is broken down into three parts: the first is exceptional aid of 19 million for press merchants, in the form of direct subsidies. The second is an aid of 8 million aimed at small independent publishers of political and general information.
There too, these are different subsidies according to their losses, with envelopes that can go to several hundred thousand euros. “Some had large debts with Presstalis that they will not see again”, says the Ministry of Culture.
The third (for 3 million) concerns overseas media. Several newspapers have experienced significant difficulties, such as "France Antilles", placed in judicial liquidation at the start of the year and taken over by Xavier Niel's holding company or "Le journal de la Réunion", which has just requested that it be placed in receivership.
Towards a sector plan for the press
Another envelope of 10 million has been allocated for the first measures relating to the “sector plan”, expected by the profession and to which the President of the Republic had committed.
It comes in the form of budgetary aid intended partly for the Strategic Fund for the development of the press (which supports projects) and partly for a plan for the transformation of printing works. "The state budget is lower than the sector's expectations, but this is only the beginning", indicates a good knowledge of the subject.
Finally, a final boost in the press sector: a tax credit on press subscriptions (of a maximum of 50 euros) for households subject to income conditions. It should cost around twenty million euros, according to the latest government forecasts.
Also according to the study by the Ministry of Culture, the impact of the crisis for the press should result in a 16% drop in turnover in 2020, or 1,9 billion euros.
Marina Alcaraz
Source (s): Les Echos.fr via Silvano trotta
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