Tuesday, May 7, 2013

Aids to the press

The report on the reform of aids to the press was published last week on the website of the ministry of Culture. Its content confirmed what I wrote in my blog of April 17. The government is willing to keep a low VAT on all kinds of publications including electronic news services. Moreover the looming crisis of Presstalis influences strongly the debate and the report. It is obvious that the generous subsidies to the postal service will be drastically reduced in order to finance the huge bill of a large buying out of Presstalis employees. A conservative evaluation puts it at 100 millions euros and nobody is willing to foot the expenses.

Still, there is no long term design for a new organization of the ailing French press.