TIMES ONLINE: You might think that French officials would have raised their glasses in celebration of a project to create the first Gallic television channel dedicated to wine.
Instead, they appear intent on driving the station into exile, possibly to Britain, after deciding that it will fall foul of the toughest laws on alcohol promotion outside the Muslim world.
Edonys, a private group which hopes to start broadcasting later this year, has been warned by France’s Higher Audiovisual Council that it will receive authorisation only if it drops plans for programmes featuring wine-tastings and expert discussions. The broadcasting authority deemed these illegal under a law that prohibits “all direct or indirect propaganda in favour of alcoholic drinks” on television.
However, the station is refusing to amend its schedule and executives are now looking for a base outside France. Britain, Luxembourg and Belgium are among the options.
“France is the world reference when it comes to wine and yet we are the only non-Muslim country where you cannot talk about wine on the television,” said Jean-Michel Peyronnet, an eminent wine journalist, who is among the founders of Edonys. “It’s not just surprising, it’s a scandal.” >>> Adam Sage, Paris | Thursday, March 18, 2010
