More on the independence of French journalists

Even better data from this 2003 CSA / Marianne poll on l'image des journalistes: 23% of French people think the media are independent of "political power", Patrick Poivre d'Arvor, Jean-Pierre Pernaud, and Claire Chazal are cited as particularly independent. Cross-tabs are included!

Journalistic independence in France

Via a long chain of googling too tedious to repeat, I find a wonderful poll on public attitudes towards French journalists. My interest was drawn to the question on public perceptions of journalistic independence. Two questions are asked, one on independence from political parties, and one on independence from economic concerns. Here's the time-series on independence from political parties. Only one third of French people believe journalists are independent.

	Rappel enquête SOFRES								Déc 2001
	nov 1993	déc 1994	déc 1995	déc 1996	déc 1997	déc 1998	déc 1999	déc 2000
From political parties and the powerful
Yes, they're independent No, they're not independent Wouldn't say	32 56 12	33 55 12	28 62 10	30 59 11	27 64 9	32 59 9	28 60 12	32 59 9	33 55 12

Unfortunately, the question wasn't asked for different channels, so there's no direct way of telling whether journalists from France Televisions are judged less independent, say, than journalists from TF1. (One could run cross-tabs on main channel watched and perceptions of independence, but the link would be tenuous).

In general, the news isn't good for France Televisions: whilst in 1989, 43% of respondents cited either France 2 or France 3 as their most trusted source of television information, compared to 33% who said the same of TF1, the gap has now swung in TF1's favour, with 41% citing it as their most trusted source, compared to the joint total of 35% for France 2 and 3, with the latter gaining impressively.

The election will not be televised [not by Duhamel, that is]

Interesting story last week about Alain Duhamel, respected French television journalist who was sacked for revealing who he would vote for in the upcoming presidential election. Here's the story, as recounted by someone more familiar with the case than I [thanks Ben!]:

Duhamel writes editorials for newspaper, he is a journalist and a political
interviewer on RTL (the French radio with the largest audience) and on
France 2.

The basic story is: last November this journalist is invited to talk at a
small conference by some students (young members of Bayrou’s party the UDF)
at Sciences Po in Paris (the equivalent of the LSE for France some would
say). In the course of his speech he negligently mentions that he intends to
vote for Bayrou in the next presidential election. He claims not to have
known that the conference was being videotaped. At the beginning of
February, the students put the video on their website and on
dailymotion.com, a few blogs mention it, but no one seems to pay attention
to it. Yesterday morning, the video had only been seen 265 times. That’s
when Guy Birenbaum puts the video on his blog (he is a very complex figure,
he has a PhD in political science with a thesis on the Front National and is
officially a political science professor at a French University although he
doesn’t teach anymore, he created his own publishing company where he
publishes mainly essays that would not be accepted by other companies
because of their polemical content, he writes editorials for different
medias and polemical books, and has a blog with a wide audience). Soon the
information that Duhamel votes for Bayrou appears on the website of all the
big medias (le Figaro, le Monde, Libération…) and arguing that Duhamel now
lacks the independence needed to do his job he is suspended, first from
France 2 and then from RTL. He was actually scheduled to interview Bayrou on
France 2 yesterday evening. The whole thing started a big buzz about the
independence of journalists... and about the impact of
internet compared to traditional media.

France 2, director of programmes sacked

[Thanks to Michael for the link] : Jean Baptiste Jouy sacked as director of programmes for France 2. Culture shock at moving from Canal+ a factor.

Directors-General of European PSBs

Measures of central bank independence have sometimes used the rate of turnover of Central Bank Governors as an indicator of de facto independence (which, it turns out, is reasonably strongly correlated with de jure independence). How does it work for PSBs? The following table gives the average time in post of a number of PSB Directors-General.

Public broadcaster	Average tenure of DG
NRK [Norway]	9 years 8 months
ABC [Australia]	8 years 10 months
YLE [Finland]	8 years 6 months
DR [Denmark]	7 years 2 months
BBC [UK]	6 years 8 months
CBC [Canada]	5 years 4 months
ORF [Austria]	5 years 1 month
NHK [Japan]	4 years 6 months
Rai [Italy]	2 years 10 months
PTV [Poland]	2 years 10 months
France Télévisions/ORTF	2 years 6 months
Czech TV	1 year 11 months
MTV [Hungary]	1 year
RTVE [Spain]	11 months

Norway

List of Broadcasting Chiefs of Norwegian PSB NRK [from Wikipedia]

• Kaare Fostervoll (1949–1962)
• Hans Jacob Ustvedt (1962–1972)
• Torolf Elster (1972–1981)
• Bjartmar Gjerde (1981–1989)
• Einar Førde (1989–2001)
• John G. Bernander (15th July 2001–2007)

(According to his Wikipedia entry, Bernander is a freemason. A nice compliment to Sandro Curzi's remarks about freemasons in Rai, no?)
Average tenure of DG: 9 years 8 months.
Percentage of government changes followed within six months by change of Director-General (Cukierman political vulnerability index): 3/21 = 14.29% [Korvald, Bruntland (I), Syse governments possibly followed by changes, though the timing may be wrong with no more precise dates than these]

Australia

Directors-General and Managing Directors of ABC:

1. Sir Charles Moses (1935–65)
2. Sir Talbot Duckmanton (1965–82)
3. Keith Jennings (1982-83)
4. Geoffrey Whitehead (1983–86)
5. David Hill (1986–94)
6. Brian Johns (1994–99 )
7. Jonathan Shier (??/03/2000–31/12/2001);
   
8. Russell Balding (29/05/2002–20/03/2006); left before the end of his five-year contract
   
9. Mark Scott (22/05/2006–present)

Average tenure of DGs, excluding most recent: 8 years 10 months (5 years 9 months if one counts only managing directors)
Cukierman political vulnerability index: 1/11 = 9.09% [Hawke government followed by appointment of Geoffrey Whitehead]

Finland

List of Directors-General of Finnish PSB YLE [from Wikipedia]:

• Hella Wuolijoki 1945–1949
• Einar Sundström 1950–1964
• Eino S. Repo 1965–1969
• Erkki Raatikainen 1970–1979
• Sakari Kiuru 1980–1989
• Reino Paasilinna 1990–1994
• Arne Wessberg 1994–2005
• Mikael Jungner 2005–

Average tenure of DG, excluding most recent: 8 years 6 months.
Cukierman political vulnerability index: 3/35 = 8.57% (counting changes of Prime Minister; Kekkonen (I), Virolainen, Koivisto (II) governments followed by changes); 1/6 = 16.67% (counting changes of President; Ahtisaari presidency followed by appointment of Wessberg).

Denmark

List of Directors-General of Danmarks Radio [from DR website]

• Hans Juul Sølvhøj 1961 - 1964
• Erik Carlsen 1964 - 1967
• Hans Juul Sølvhøj 1967 - 1976
• Laurits Bindsløv 1976 - 1985
• Hans Jørgen Jensen 1985 - 1994
• Christian Nissen 1994 - 2004
• Kenneth Plummer 2005 -

Average tenure of DG, excluding most recent: 7 years 2 months.
Cukierman political vulnerability index: 0.

United Kingdom

BBC Directors-General (post-war period only):

• Sir William Haley (31st March 1944-30th September 1952)
• Sir Ian Jacob (1st December 1952- 31st December 1959)
• Sir Hugh Greene (1st January 1960-31st March 1969)
• Sir Charles Curran (1st April 1969-1977)
• Sir Ian Trethowan (1977-1982)
• Alasdair Milne (1982-29/1/1987)
• Sir Michael Checkland (27/2/1987-??/12/1992); stepped down two months early after Birt's appointment named well in advance
  
• Sir John Birt (??/12/1992-2000)
• Greg Dyke (01/04/2000 - January 29, 2004)
• Mark Thompson (June 22, 2004 - )

Average tenure of DGs, excluding most recent: 6 years 8 months.
Cukierman political vulnerability index: 0.

Canada

Presidents of the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, post-war period only:

• 1945–1958: A. Davidson Dunton
• 1958–1967: J. Alphonse Ouimet
• 1968–1972: George F. Davidson
• 1972–1975: Laurent A. Picard
• 1975–1982: A.W. Johnson
• 1982–1989: Pierre Juneau
• 1989: William T. Armstrong
• 1989–1994: Gérard Veilleux
• 1994–1995: Anthony S. Manera
• 31st March 1995–1999: Perrin Beatty
• November 1999–Present: Robert Rabinovitch

Average tenure of Presidents, excluding most recent: 5 years, 4 months.
Cukierman political vulnerability index: 3/13 = 23.07% (Diefenbaker, Trudeau (I) and Chrétien governments followed by changes).

Austria

List of Directors-General of Austrian PSB ORF [from Wikipedia]:

• 1960–1967: Josef Scheidl
• 1967–1974: Gerd Bacher
• 1974–1978: Otto Oberhammer
• 1978–1986: Gerd Bacher
• 1986–1990: Thaddäus Podgorski
• 1990–1994: Gerd Bacher
• 1994–1998: Gerhard Zeiler
• 1998–2001: Gerhard Weis
• 2002–31/12/2006: Monika Lindner
• 01/01/2007- : Alexander Wrabetz

Average tenure of DG, excluding most recent: 5 years 1 month.
Cukierman political vulnerability index: 1/7 = 14.28% (Vranitzky government followed by appointment of Podgorski).

Japan

NHK Presidents [Kaicho], post-Occupation period only [from Wikipedia, Ellis Krauss' Broadcasting Politics in Japan]:

1. 高野岩三郎　1946年4月26日～1949年4月5日; completed a three year term before introduction of the 1950 Broadcasting Act
   
2. 古垣鐵郎　1949年5月30日～1956年6月13日; two three-year terms; prolonged slightly by passage of the 1950 Act
   
3. 永田清　1956年6月13日～1957年11月3日; Kiyoshi died in office
   
4. 野村秀雄　1958年1月14日～1960年10月17日; Nomura appointed late after LDP factional disagreement
   
5. 阿部眞之助　1960年10月17日～1964年7月9日;
   
6. 前田義徳　1964年7月17日～1973年7月16日; three-term President, Maeda resigned after patron Satō died
   
7. 小野吉郎　1973年7月17日～1976年9月4日; resigned two months into a second three year term
   
8. 坂本朝一　1976年9月21日～1982年7月2日; two quiet three-year terms
   
9. 川原正人　1982年7月3日～1988年7月2日; two three year terms
   
10. 池田芳蔵　1988年7月3日～1989年4月4日; Ikeda resigned on grounds off ill-health
    
11. 島桂次　1989年4月12日～1991年7月16日; Shima resigned after annoying certain LDP factions
    
12. 川口幹夫　1991年7月31日～1997年7月30日; two quiet three year terms
    
13. 海老沢勝二　1997年7月31日～2005年1月25日; resigned after corruption scandals
    
14. 橋本元一　2005年1月25日～現在

Average tenure of Presidents, excluding most recent: 4 years, 6 months.
Cukierman political vulnerability index: 1/29 = 3.44% (Ikeda government followed by appointment of Shinosuke Abe).
Average percentage of tenure completed: 87.78%

Italy

Directors-General of RAI:

Salvino Sernesi	1949	1953
Giovan Battista Vicentini	1954	1955
Rodolfo Arata	(June) 1956	1960
Ettore Bernabei	January 5, 1961	September 18, 1974
Michele Principe	May 23, 1975	January 25, 1977
Giuseppe Glisenti	January 26, 1977	June 17, 1977
Pierantonino Bertè	July 12, 1977	June 18, 1980
Villy De Luca	June 19, 1980	July 21, 1982
Biagio Agnes	July 29, 1982	February 1, 1990
Gianni Pasquarelli	February 5, 1990	July 23, 1993
Gianni Locatelli	July 23, 1993	August 3, 1994
Gianni Billia	August 3, 1994	December 31, 1994
Raffaele Minicucci	January 16, 1995	February 29, 1996
Aldo Materia [1]	March 6, 1996	July 15, 1996
Franco Iseppi	July 15, 1996	February 8, 1998
Pier Luigi Celli	February 9, 1998	February 17, 2000
Pier Luigi Celli [2]	February 17, 2000	February 9, 2001
Claudio Cappon	February 9, 2001	March 19, 2002
Agostino Saccà	March 19, 2002	March 27, 2003
Flavio Cattaneo	March 27, 2003	August 5, 2005
Alfredo Meocci	August 5, 2005	June 20, 2006
Claudio Cappon	June 22, 2006	present

Average tenure of Directors-General, excluding most recent: 2 years 10 months.
Cukierman political vulnerability index: 8/36 = 22.22% (Fanfani (I), Fanfani (III), Moro (II), Andreotti (II), Andreotti (III), Ciampi, Berlusconi (I), Prodi (I), Prodi (II) governments followed by changes).

Poland

Presidents of Telewizja Polska (PTV):

1. Wiesław Walendziak (Jan 1994 - Apr 1996)
2. Ryszard Miazek (Apr 1996 - June 1998)
3. Robert Kwiatkowski (July 1998 - Jan 2004)
4. Jan Dworak (Feb 2004 - May 2006)
5. Bronislaw Wildstein (May 2006 - )

Average tenure of Presidents, excluding most recent: 2 years 10 months.
Cukierman political vulnerability index: 2/9 = 22.22% (Pawlak (II), Cimoszewicz governments followed by changes).

France

Presidents of France Télévisions (and before, joint presidents of France 2 and France 3, and Presidents of ORTF):

• Jacques-Bernard Dupont : 27/06/1964 - 7/06/1968
• Jean-Jacques de Bresson : 7/06/1968 - 13/05/1972
• Arthur Conte : 14/07/1972 - 23/10/1973
• Marceau Long : 23/10/1973 - 31/12/1974
• Jean Cazeneuve : 06/01/1975 - 1978 [President, TF1]
  
• Jean-Louis Guillaud : 1978 - 06/1981
• Jacques Boutet : 06/1981 - 31/08/1982
• Michel May : 31/08/1982 - 14/07/1983
• Hervé Bourges : 14/07/1983 - 06/04/1987
• Francis Bouygues : 06/04/1987 - 23/02/1988
• Patrick Le Lay : depuis le 23/02/1988
• Philippe Guilhaume : 10/08/1989 - 07/09/1992 [Presidents, France 2, France 3]
  
• Hervé Bourges : 07/09/1992 - 13/12/1993
• Jean-Pierre Elkabbach : 13/12/1993 - 06/06/1996
• Xavier Gouyou Beauchamps : 06/06/1996 - 28/05/1999
• Marc Tessier : 28/05/1999 - 06/07/2005
• Patrick de Carolis : depuis le 06/07/2005

Average tenure of President/DG of major public channel/group, excluding most recent: 2 years 6 months.
Cukierman political vulnerability index: 5/16 = 31.25% (Messmer, Chirac (I), Mauroy, Bérégovoy, de Villepin governments followed by changes).

Czech Republic

Česká televize, Directors-General:

Ivo Mathé	1. January 1992	1. April 1998
Jakub Puchalský	1. April 1998	31.january 2000
Dušan Chmelíček	1. February 2000	21. December 2000
Jiří Hodač	22. December 2000	11. January 2001
Inter-rim period	11. January 2001	9. February 2001
Jiří Balvín	9 February 2001	27. November 2002
Petr Klimeš (inter-rim director))	27. November 2002	18. July 2003
Jiří Janeček	19. July 2003	(current)

Average tenure of Directors-General, excluding most recent: 1 year 11 months.
Cukierman political vulnerability index: 2/7 = 28.57% (Tosovsky', Spidla governments followed by changes).

Hungary

Magyar Televizio, Presidents [from EUMAP]

1. István Nemeskürty (January–April 1990),
2. Albert Szalacsi Tóth (April–August 1990),
3. Elemér Hankiss (August 1990–January 1993),
4. Gábor Nahlik (January 1993–July 1994),
5. Tibor Szilárd (July 1994),
6. Ádám Horváth (July 1994–December 1995),
7. Ferenc Székely (January–September 1996),
8. István Peták (October 1996–January 1998),
9. Lóránt Horvát (January 1998–May 1999),
10. Zsolt Szabó László (May 1999–July 2001),
11. Károly Mendreczky (July 2001–July 2002),
12. Imre Ragáts (July 2002–December 2003),
13. György Pinke (January 2004–February 2004),
14. Zoltán Rudi (March 2004–

Average tenure of Presidents, excluding most recent: 1 year
Cukierman political vulnerability index: 4/6 = 66.67% (Antall, Boross, Horn, Medgyessy governments followed by changes).

Spain

Directors-General of RTVE:

• Fernando Castedo (Jan '81 to Oct '81)
• Carlos Robles (Oct '81 to July '82)
• Eugenio Nasarre (Jul '82 to Dec '82)
• Jose-Maria Calvino (Dec '82 to Oct '86);
  
• Pilar Miro (Oct '86 to Jan '89);
  
• Luis Solana (Jan '89 to Feb '90);
  
• Jordi Garcia (Feb '90 to May '96)
  
• Mónica Ridruejo (May '96 to Feb '97)
  
• Fernando López-Amor (Feb '97 to Nov '98)
• Pío Cabanillas (Nov '98 to May '00);
  
• Javier González (May '00 to July '02)
  
• José Antonio Sánchez Domínguez (July '02 to April '04);
• Carmen Caffarel (April 2004 onwards)

Average tenure of DG, excluding most recent: 11 months.
Cukierman political vulnerability index: 4 / 5 = 80% (all government changes since Suárez followed by changes, except change in 1993 between majority and minority PSOE governments).