TF1 GROUP SIGNS CSA CHARTER ON THE REPRESENTATION OF DISABILITY IN BROADCAST MEDIA

Boulogne, 4 December 2019

TF1 GROUP SIGNS CSA CHARTER ON THE REPRESENTATION
OF DISABILITY AND PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES IN BROADCAST MEDIA

On Tuesday 3 December, Gilles Pélisson, Chairman and CEO of the TF1 group, signed the Charter on the representation of disability and people with disabilities in broadcast media, alongside other CEOs including Delphine Ernotte (France Télévisions), Maxime Saada (Canal+) and Nicolas de Tavernost (M6), and in the presence of Prime Minister Edouard Philippe, Culture Minister Franck Riester and the Secretary of State responsible for people with disabilities Sophie Cluzel.

The Charter – drawn up by French broadcasting industry regulator CSA – commits France’s leading broadcasters to making the issue of disability more visible on their channels, in particular by:

·         Not typecasting disabled people, by giving them the opportunity to express themselves on a range of subjects.

·         Speaking of disability in a positive and inclusive way and not solely with compassion, by giving a platform to carers, healthcare professionals and non-profits.

·         Supporting editorial staff in using appropriate language and sharing good practice with all the signatories.

The TF1 group will be subject to an annual evaluation of its channels’ performance by the CSA.

Keenly aware of the need to respect the uniqueness of each individual and mindful of its responsibility, the TF1 group is committed to promoting diversity in all its aspects, every day. On our channels, we aim to show French society in all its richness, without no-go areas or stereotypes.

Our programmes are helping to change attitudes by breaking down disability stereotypes (C’est quoi cette question?) and highlighting individual success among people with disabilities: social-issue drama (Les bracelets rouges, Mention Particulière); news programmes (many topics covered in the magazine programme Sept à huit and our news bulletins), and light entertainment (Danse avec les Stars).

Signing this Charter gives another strong signal of our commitment to better representation of people with disabilities on our channels.