Pas de pub, pas des ideés.

Or so the billboards said.

I don't agree with RStar. Last summer I got to watch an episode of Walker: Texas Ranger dubbed into an Italian. Also an episode of The Persuaders.

Okay, I agree with RStar.

I had FREE when I lived in France, and it was much cheaper than the equivalent cable+phone+internet service in the US, plus you could get channels a la carte. I also had unlimited international long distance, so I could call my sister in NZ or my parents in the US for no additional charges.

As far as no ads, I do wonder how it will affect things, but most of the ads were in between shows anyway, so it doesn't interrupt the flow as much as on US TV.

Oh, and there's a lot more porn on the French cable.

A quick google shows that:

France appears to have a mix of state run and commercial stations, making it somewhat akin to the US system. Although the state run stations do broadcast shows like ER and Without a Trace.

So how will they fill the time when they air a show like ER that's only 40min long after you remove the commercials?

Questions that immediately come to mind:

1. If any of the channels are privately run companies why is it any business of the government to tell them when they can or can't run commercials?

2. Are these broadcast channels only or do they include non-broadcast networks too?

3. If commercials are so evil why are only the gainfully employed protected from them but housewives and the unemployed aren't?

4. It sounds like a stupid law as much as I would prefer commercial free.

Good point. Perhaps they won't worry so much about one hour time slots? Or fill some of it with news and weather?

Granted while I was there I rarely watched durring peak hours, and the hotels only had about 6 or 8 chanells (I assume there more available at a price), but the only US show I saw was an old Happy Days dubbed in French. the Fonze spoke like Inspector Clouseau. It was a blast (for about 15 minutes).

1&2. The commercial ban only pertains to the four state run stations.

3. Yea France! It's about bloody time a Goverment stopped worring about "saving the Children" and did something for working adults.

4. Aggreed.

I don't read French, but here is what's on France-2 this evening:

18h10 Cote et match du jour
18h15 Dakar 2009 : sur la route des Andes
18h50 CD'aujourd'hui
18h55 Service maximum
19h55 Météo 2
20h00 Journal
20h30 Partir...
20h34 Météo 2
20h35 Rendez-vous en terre inconnue
22h15 Tirage du Loto
22h25 Complément d'enquête

Well, if they're just state run channels then I don't have an opinion any longer. They can do what they want with them.

Does France have TV licenses like in the UK?

If you mean that you have to pay a yearly fee if you own a TV, then yes France does have that.

here's an interesting article about this

http://www.france24.com/en/20090105-...rime-time-news

it wont affect our TV Bills but other private Channels will see they taxes increased .

Now the French public TV employees were on strike today but it wont change because our President would like to see all TV commercials banned by 2010 .
Then the French Public TV will broadcast their programs with NO Commercials at all .