Understanding the Media Chronology in France in 2021
Author : ROMAN3D,
MARKETING
Understanding the Media Chronology in France in 2021
First, the media chronology is a legal expression that names a purely French process for managing the exploitation of films. Historically, until the 1960s, a film was only monetized through its theatrical release. In fact, there were thousands of cinemas in France, which allowed everyone to discover the news, and it was the only way to watch a film.
The Emergence of Television and the Beginning of Media Chronology
Initially, the small screen did not disrupt the media chronology. Indeed, it must be admitted that its use was still marginal. Because only a few thousand devices had been sold in the early 1950s. As television was then a luxury item that only a small elite could afford. Thus, it was a technological jewel that testified to social status before being truly useful.
Few Television Programs in the 1950s
Firstly, at the time, television wasn’t really useful because the level of programming was still very modest. Secondly, television only broadcasted a few hours a day, and it was essentially news bulletins. Therefore, it wasn’t until the early 1960s that there was a rise in household television equipment.
The Public Monopoly of ORTF and Media Chronology
During the 1960s, the French Radio and Television Office had a total monopoly, with the only television channels being public. And editorial control was ensured by the State with a supervising minister. It was during this time that films began to be broadcast on television, after a theatrical run. Spontaneously, ORTF set a delay of 5 years after the first theatrical release to allow itself to present a cinema work on the small screen to the public.
However, with the liberalization of the television sector in the 1980s, the need for regulation of film broadcasting on television became necessary to preserve a delicate balance between a film’s profitability (the budget must be at least balanced) and the profitability of cinemas, true cultural venues whose economic model was also threatened.
Legislation on Media Chronology
We are at the turn of the 1980s. And television is at the heart of many French households. It’s still a symbol of wealth and social success, but it’s much more widespread than 20 years earlier. In parallel, the Japanese company JVC made a discovery that is about to revolutionize the way cinema is consumed. The State is therefore obliged to intervene through legislation in this sector that was previously a monopoly: the broadcasting of a film after its theatrical release.
Technological Innovations and Multiplication of Media
Faced with the liberalization of the television sector (ORTF no longer has the state monopoly on programming), and the emergence of new channels, the State has been gradually compelled to regulate the media chronology by law. Additionally, another new phenomenon has pushed the State to act. Indeed, VHS tapes brought a major technological innovation. These cassettes, invented in the late 1970s, allow anyone to obtain a film that they can watch unlimited times. VHS transformed cinema from a service to a commodity, from a purely economic point of view.
Progressive Legislation on Media Chronology
Thus, government decrees have come to regulate the authorized release date of cassettes. Therefore, the State avoids competition with the activity of movie theaters. Indeed, we may not fully realize today the upheaval that VHS and television represented. Until then, cinema was the only way to watch a film.
After successive decrees, a first law appeared to regulate the emerging phenomenon of media chronology. This was passed on July 29, 1982. For the first time, mandatory delays were established between a film’s theatrical release date and its exploitation for each medium (VHS, television … ).
Subsequently, the European Union also questioned media chronology at the turn of the 1990s. It established that, overall, media chronology should be the subject of inter-professional agreements between the various actors in film retransmission, rather than the subject of binding and general laws.
Media Chronology in France in the 2000s
Then, a balance around media chronology was found during the 2000s in France. Furthermore, we think of Canal+ which had chosen to largely finance film production, thus securing temporary exclusivity agreements. As a result, recently released films were first broadcast to subscribers of the encrypted channel before being subsequently broadcast on public channels.
Moreover, from a technological point of view, the 2000s coincide with a certain stability: VHS tapes were gradually replaced by DVDs and Blu-ray discs but, overall, this did not change the media chronology. In fact, the storm would come later with streaming platforms invading a new market and disrupting the media chronology ecosystem in the 2010s.
Thus, Upheavals in the Film Market in the 2010s
However, the breakthrough of Netflix in the video streaming market was as dazzling as it was rapid. De facto, the American company carved out colossal market shares on both sides of the Atlantic. To understand the economic model of the American firm, it finances the creation of original content which it then broadcasts on its platform. These are mainly series, which does not pose a problem for media chronology.
But more recently, Netflix has ventured into film production. This is not a problem in itself, as it is a producer like many others. However, with its dual role as producer and distributor, Netflix seeks to disrupt the media chronology. Indeed, Netflix insists that its films do not go through movie theaters but are directly broadcast on its platform. At first, this was done in relative anonymity. But the growing success of the American streaming company has attracted more renowned directors, with films that are becoming masterpieces. Thus, thanks to its financial and artistic firepower, Netflix has profoundly disrupted the film market and media chronology.
Oscar for Best Picture for a Film Absent from Theaters
And, the best example of this change can be found in Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma. The Mexican filmmaker has already directed large-scale films, notably the third installment of the Harry Potter saga. So, with Roma, Cuaron explores a new genre: that of black and white, a film without action, which tells more than it shows.
Indeed, it’s about Mexico in the 1960s with its social inequalities and the golden childhood that the director experienced. So, thanks to his very personal vision that translates perfectly to the screen, the Mexican director won the Oscar for Best Picture, the highest possible award in the world of American film prizes. It was the first time a Netflix film had achieved this success.
Towards a Tailor-Made Media Chronology ?
In Europe, to protect the big screens, this film was banned from competition at the Cannes Film Festival. Thanks to this, however, the European film world is considering integrating films produced by streaming platforms (Netflix, Amazon…) on the condition that they first be released in theaters. The idea would therefore be to deviate from the media chronology while forcing these giants to respect its first step.
Faced with these tailor-made developments, it’s the television channels, Canal+ first and foremost, that are screaming, repeatedly stating that they have been financing French cinema for decades while scrupulously respecting the media chronology.
Today, we are moving towards a relaxation of the media chronology deadlines. The point of tension is the delay after which producing streaming platforms can broadcast a work. After the 2021 Cannes Film Festival, there is still no interprofessional agreement on the horizon.
