Gallic Tv to Reflect Society

Days after a government report denounced French television's "abject failure" to reflect France's multicultural and multi-ethnic society, the Gallic equivalent of the BBC unveiled its first plan to ensure minority groups were represented on air and behind the scenes.

"This campaign aims to break with the logic that says: we can't put minorities on television because it might have a bad impact on viewing figures," said Marc Tessier, director general of the public broadcaster France Televisions, which runs three of France's six main TV channels.

"The French have to be able to recognise themselves in the mirror that television holds up to them," he said. "Between 10% and 15% of our population are immigrants of non-European origin."

The announcement came two days after the high council on integration denounced the shortcomings of France's integration policy.

Mr Tessier said there would be no question of on-screen quotas at France Television, but that all programme producers - including news bulletins, dramas and games shows - would be asked to make a "sustained effort" to ensure that presenters, characters and guests "reflect at least the same level of ethnic diversity as French society as a whole".

At present not one newsreader or programme host on mainstream French national television is of immigrant origin, and there are a tiny handful of black actors.

As far as recruitment policy was concerned, Mr Tessier said staff would continue to be hired on the basis of competence alone. But a range of measures would be taken to ensure more qualified immigrant candidates presented themselves, including apprenticeships, contracts with journalism colleges and special in-house training schemes.