Interview with Laurence Schwob (EDHEC Masters 1990), Director of Development at France Télévisions

With almost 20 years’ experience at France Télévisions, from financial oversight to operational development of its subsidiaries, Laurence Schwob (EDHEC Grande École 1990) has witnessed the transformation of this audiovisual group into one that now boasts 5 national channels, 24 regional services, 9 overseas services and an array of digital offerings. Here she describes the future paths towards diversification of activities to ensure long-term survival in this highly competitive sector in a context of national sovereignty.

How would you summarise your current position and responsibilities?

I'm Director of Development at France Télévisions, where I’m in charge of rolling out a new production studio activity in Montpellier as part of France 2030, whose goal is to plan for the development of companies in France. Developing the company's revenue is part of the present and future business model. France Télévisions has mixed financing – and this is what sets it apart in relation to competitors in the sector (TF1, M6, etc.) – based on public funding (a portion of VAT has now replaced what used to be the TV licence fee), advertising revenue and “commercial” revenue linked to productions and rights distribution. These are complex times in terms of the economy and budget. TF1 and M6 are private channels but nonetheless rely on the public audiovisual network because it supports and underpins a whole ecosystem. Budget allocations already dropped sharply between 2017 and 2022 – by a total of 160 million euros –, a period marked by Covid and inflation, which explains the urgent need to find our own resources. The sector as a whole is undergoing change, but this is especially true of public audiovisual services due to their dependency on politics. 

What is at stake in this new studio in Montpellier?

Within the budget of €350 million for creative industries as part of France 2030 (out of a total of €54 billion), there was a call for projects described as the “Grande Fabrique de l’image” with the objective of making studio activities competitive so that audiovisual production could be relocated back in France (rather than buying foreign productions), with studios at the cutting edge of technology, environmental ambitions and economic attractiveness. We responded with a project in Montpellier because we already had a production site there for a serial that runs daily on France 2, Un si grand soleil, as well as other France Télévisions productions. The site is now also used for productions from outside the company and will soon even host a new serial run by M6. With the expertise developed across the 4000 m² of sets in this location, the project allows us to increase our objective twofold, offering a wide range of services to customers: identifying and creating set designs, producing virtual sets, storing set materials, film sets, accommodation for actors, production and post-production office space. This enables us either to have the whole production done on site or sell one service or another separately. Thanks to the serial that runs daily, we have the agility to experiment every day with technologies like the extension of virtual set designs, where the director can immediately see while filming what the virtual background looks like when integrated into real scenes.

What is the tangible impact of this studio in the Occitania region?

Occitania, which is now the leading region in France in terms of the number of days spent filming for fiction, has a very dynamic presence in the creative industries (Ubisoft, animation, documentary production), with a 15% increase in creative businesses each year. As soon as we established a presence there, we began to train technicians and develop employment in the surrounding area. Huge efforts have also been made with the local authorities to develop the metropolitan area economically. When you choose a particular area for production, you also rely on its population and public transport, which meant we had discussions about extending tramlines. A civic undertaking nurtures its principles through the way it operates. Every euro invested in the creative industries can generate returns 3 or even 6 times higher, including through tourism. The creative and cultural industries are worth more in France nowadays than the automobile sector! 

Does the younger population benefit from this regional presence?

Absolutely, and we are working with local missions and associations to spread awareness of our activities among younger people from secondary school leavers (or even younger) to those with up to 10 years in higher education. The training course run with the INA, where each year since 2020 we have been presenting the professions of the TV industry to around 60 young people who have dropped out of school, boasts exceptional success rates. We have developed partnerships with filmmaking schools, the University of Montpellier and the ARTFX digital arts school to get all local players involved. On one of our sets, we have a facility for content production and Twitch events. Because influencers are on site to produce what they know how to produce, there's an acculturation process between them and us, and they're beginning to develop programmes together with France Télévisions. They are very agile when it comes to looking for sponsors. These production methods also allow us to meet one of our major objectives which is to expand our audiences towards the 18-34 age group. Most young people have abandoned traditional TV channels, which explains the need for platforms that can be used in a way they're accustomed to and with content more likely to appeal.

Plus belle la vie (initially on France 3 and now on TF1), Un si grand soleil (France 2), Demain nous appartient and Ici tout commence (TF1), as well as an upcoming production with M6 to be broadcast daily: why capitalise on TV serials?

There’s a kind of “platformisation” in the way habits are changing, with the consumption of on-demand content, seen across all audiovisual players: france.tv, TF1+, CANALVOD, M6+, etc. Huge volumes are needed to feed these online platforms. The advantage of a daily serial drama like Un si grand soleil is that 260 episodes are guaranteed each year, with the weekly upload of 5 episodes available in preview. Then you have linear consumption, meaning on the “normal” channel and then via replay. These are products that generate strong loyalty, endearing brands. An offer is needed that is at once rich in diversity but can also ensure regular slots that are well known and bring high volumes. Daily serials are in reality the kind of appealing product that can attract viewers to visit the platform repeatedly.

What are the successes that France Télévisions can rely on going forward?

The 2024 Paris Games reached nearly 100% of the French population, with unrivalled wall-to-wall scheduling. The extensive coverage of the Paralympics – a gamble that commercial channels probably wouldn’t have taken – also broke the record for viewer numbers. There was the journey of the Olympic torch, a magazine (ahead of the games) on lesser known sports, documentary series, programmes tailored for children, a comprehensive offer across all media, as well as continuous work on social media and even live broadcasts with influencers. Reflections are ongoing on the legacy of the Games (ahead of the Winter Games due to be held in France in 2030 ), to try to maintain part of the image and practices generated. Our hope is that beyond the world of sport, France.tv will be able to enhance its reputation even more.

In terms of innovation, we're striving to develop an offer called VR 360 france.tv, building on the mixed reality headsets we offered at the French Open this summer. We're no longer about just TV; we give viewers the chance to live immersive experiences, whether in front of the screen (with a headset) or in situ (for example during concerts), like the cultural sector. This crossover between technologies is generating new ways to tell stories (editorial dimension) and an accessibility factor, in particular by reaching new audiences through the progress made in AI on subtitling. We place demands on ourselves in terms of quality that other broadcasters don’t. 

To stand out from Netflix or Prime Video, do you have to diversify the type and amount of content, with both mainstream and experimental output?

Yes, and offer individualised experiences for all, content that brings people together. Sport (e.g. Tour de France, French Open, European athletics and swimming championships) continues to be highly attractive, and France TV was one of the first to start broadcasting women's sport. Public service is about always being ahead of changes in society, particularly when it comes to diversity and eco-production, it's about being an exemplary civic medium both in terms of content and practices. Because we're part funded by public money, our mission is to re-establish trust in the media. There's a long way to go, which explains our educational efforts on image in collaboration with the public teaching authorities. Naturally we don't rule out providing entertainment – indeed one often remembers information better when entertained at the same time – but our offer aims to go further. Fiction nowadays addresses societal issues and generates debate. Deciphering complex questions, taking a long view, with news bulletins lasting almost one hour, also contribute to this. Economic and sovereignty issues count for a lot because through our content we convey who we are, serving cultures and society. We invert the way the Netflix algorithm works, as it only suggests things you’re accustomed to watching: instead of tying people into certain habits and practices, we expand our viewers’ horizons with our offer. After auditing and banking, I chose France Télévisions precisely because of my conviction that public television has real power and plays a role as a purveyor of culture in the broadest sense.