France Télévisions boss Delphine Ernotte Cunci is looking to “debunk” and tackle major societal issues such as sexual violence via the public broadcaster’s shows.
Addressing Series Mania, Ernotte Cunci said she wants to be “free of constraints” in order to make meaningful programing.
She used sexual violence as an example, which she said France Télévisions will spotlight with dramas, documentaries and news.
“I want to debunk [major societal issues] like sexual violence and keep tackling them,” she added, citing documentaries the network made about the #MeToo scandal several years ago.
Ernotte Cunci, who is also chair of the European Broadcasting Union (EBU), praised TV writers for having “a sixth sense” for these topics, which helps with France Télévisions’ dramatic content.
She backed TV drama to help build “a common imagination.”
“Sometimes as individuals we experience emotions and we don’t know how to analyze them,” she added. “Building a common imagination together in the world of fiction allows us to think. It’s not just about entertainment and distraction, it’s about finding solutions to things.”
Ernotte Cunci said these primetime shows can be “intergenerational” but talked up the need for public broadcasters to keep attracting young people, who are interested in different topics.
“They are tomorrow’s decision makers,” she added, citing France Télévisions’ acquisition of Paul Mescal-starring BBC Three/Hulu drama Normal People as proof that the network is pivoting young.
Ernotte Cunci is a huge public service broadcasting champion and she said pubcasters fund more than 50% of Europe’s TV shows.
She recently oversaw the negotiations that ended with the EBU and Warner Bros. Discovery securing olympics coverage for a further decade.
