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To: Stoctrash who wrote (25687)	11/25/1997 5:10:00 PM
From: BillyG	Read Replies (2) \| Respond to of 50808

Digital cable boxes set to roll.............. wired.com You and Maya do good work. Of course, the single digit talk didn't hurt, either.

To: Stoctrash who wrote (25687)	11/25/1997 8:48:00 PM
From: John Rieman	Read Replies (1) \| Respond to of 50808

Digital video getting stronger in France........................................ French general TV audience bound to fall-TV exec 10:40 a.m. Nov 24, 1997 Eastern By Denis Thomas PARIS, Nov 24 (Reuters) - The audience for French general television channels will inevitably fall because of growth in digital television services, a top French television executive said on Monday. Viewing figures ''will be eroded because supply is strong,'' Michele Pappalardo, managing director of France 2, the biggest French public television channel, told Reuters in an interview. France is unusual in having three digital satellite television services, and cable companies are just beginning to introduce digital television by cable. Theme channels are also mushrooming. The change has been building up for a few years but largely took off in 1997, eating into the market share of TF1, France's biggest privately-owned television station. In August TF1 vice chairman Etienne Mougeotte said there had been a drop in the station's audience figures over five or six years because of the growth of new channels. France 2 nevertheless would stick to its goal of reaching a quarter of viewers who watch general TV stations in France, Pappalardo said. ''We are sticking to our objective which is a quarter of the audience of French general stations. We are at 23.7 percent since the beginning of this year.'' France 2 has recently reshuffled its prime-time programming in a war for viewers which also claimed as a casualty a game show on TF1 hosted by a well-known presenter. The public channel cut an early evening chat show hosted by youthful presenter Jean-Luc Delarue, billed since September, to one half-hour programme from an original two half-hour programme because ratings were disappointing. French television's satirical puppet show, carried during pay TV channel Canal Plus's weekday open access prime-time chat show, lampooned Delarue, putting laughable excuses based on the weather in the mouth of his puppet. The autumn prime-time line-up from the leading French television stations mostly failed to impress advertisers, and some agencies wondered in the pages of the trade press whether it was wise to advise clients to place advertising during prime-time. Asked about the programming reshuffle, Pappalardo said France 2 did not need to pull out all stops for its programming to meet the target for advertising revenues which the government imposes on it. ''We are not under such advertising pressure that we would have to do anything special,'' she said. France 2 is financed half by the French state and half by advertising revenue. France's 1998 budget allocates 5.187 billion francs ($892.4 million) to France 2 for next year, a rise of 3.4 percent from 1997, and seeks from the channel an increase of two percent in its advertising revenues. The overall television market is forecast to grow by six percent next year. ''In 1998 we will put as much money as possible into programmes,'' Pappalardo said. She noted that France 2 will have to cut costs by only 33 million francs next year, significantly less than the 250 million cost cuts it made during 1997. France 2's parent, France Television, holds eight percent of digital satellite television service TPS (Television par Satellite), which is operated by TF1. France Television has not committed itself to financing the third phase of the service, Pappalardo said in answer to questions. The second phase, which fell due by the end of this year, required TPS shareholders to cough up a billion francs. ($ - 5.812 French Francs) Copyright 1997 Reuters Limited. All rights reserved. Republication and redistribution of Reuters content is expressly prohibited without the prior written consent of Reuters. Reuters shall not be liable for any errors or delays in the content, or for any actions taken in reliance thereon.