The Agency has already experienced such a situation in the past

The economic crisis and the emergence of new media, "aggregators of content" on the Internet, challenge the traditional model of news agencies. On both sides of the Atlantic, the advertising recession puts pressure relationships between these enterprises, which provide for media news on which they rely then to cover the news, and newspapers faced a decline in their revenues. In France, the situation is particularly tense with the regional daily press (PQR), small format. The newspaper "La Provence", property of Hersant media group, has thus notify the Agency France Press (AFP) its decision to terminate his subscription from July 1, as revealed by "The world" dated June 18. For the moment, no other newspaper jumped way, but the discussions with the AFP are hardened. The concentration in the regional press in recent years changes the balance of power. The new giants of the PQR seek to negotiate agreements to the scale of the group, not each editorial. In this context, the Areo ("the Republican", "The progress", "The good public"...) and the Southwest group, owner of the newspapers of noon, come to renew their subscriptions with significant discounts, sometimes exceeding 10. "It is of short-term declines to accompany clients in this difficult period" comments Pierre Louette, the CEO of the Agency. For its part, the national daily press is yet passed to the action, but it also strongly questioned the opportunity to renegotiate down the price of the service by AFP. "It is possible that one must get accustomed to what some titles off again." "But it will do everything to win them back" loose, philosopher, Pierre Louette, who already warned: "we will ensure that our content are not exploited by people who do pay...". . The Agency has already experienced such a situation in the past. Some years ago, free daily newspaper "metro" had decided to spend the Agency services... before re-subscribing. At this stage, expected turnover losses do not call into question the objective that has set the AFP to identify a small profit in 2009. Together, the national and regional dailies represent income EUR 25 million, or less than 10 of revenues (271 million euros last year).

Reform of the status

For Pierre Louette, the new deal makes even more urgent the mutation of the Agency towards new media. He recalled that in 2007, several services, such as a video syndication platform were launched at destination of the PQR. In some respects, the current situation may however seem paradoxical. End of 2008, the Board of Directors of the Agency, composed of eight representatives of the press (including five of the PQR) on sixteen, voted, unanimously, the AFP 2009 budget, which provides for an increase in the rates. The revision of the status of the Agency could put an end to this complex configuration where coexist within the Agency of the competing interests. In the report made to the public authorities, Pierre Louette proposes to transform AFP by a company owned by public capital under the leadership of a foundation that would ensure the independence of the Agency. By the end of July, the Government should define the operation of the Foundation and governance to present a Bill to the re-entry. Concerned, trade unions have called on employees to strike three hours yesterday afternoon. A petition signed by more than fifteen thousand people has been brought to the Ministry of Culture.