France Televisions to shed 600 jobs

Pubcaster France Télévisions is cutting 600 jobs in a bid to reduce a massive budget shortfall.

The broadcaster has been seeking to cut costs after government funding levels fell and it was forced to stop primetime TV advertising.

At a press conference yesterday, France Télévisions president Remy Pflimlin announced plans for 600 voluntary job losses in coming months.

Headcount will fall below the 10,000 mark by 2015, with 9,750 jobs remaining at that stage. Five-hundred staff already left the French pubcaster between January and July this year.

France Télévisions also expects to post a €40 million loss this year and further losses are expected in 2014 and 2015 but Pflimlin said it was “on track” to re-establish financial stability.

The broadcaster is shifting toward digital platforms targeting sports, news, culture, on-demand services and education content is continuing, and a sixth platform for youth audiences was announced yesterday.

France Télévisions told journalists at the press conference that investment in digital initiatives would increase.

The amount of web programming and other digital products and services are expected to increase, as are initiatives that pool resources between channels France 2 and France 3.