French Bid to Curb U.S. TV Shows Fails

France’s campaign to impose tougher restrictions on the broadcast in the European Union of U.S.-made television programs collapsed after it failed to secure the backing of the European Parliament. The French government lobbied lawmakers to remove a legal loophole that allowed satellite channels to avoid quota restrictions on programs made outside the EU.

European distributors of cable television programs and advertisers backed Hollywood in opposing France’s proposed amendments to the EU’s 1989 Television Without Frontiers Directive. The directive as it stands obliges television companies in the 15-nation bloc to use European Union-made programs in at least 51% of their broadcasting time “where practicable.” France wanted the “where practicable” clause replaced with an obligation on governments to use “legally effective means” to enforce the quota.