New deal for French TV fiction writers

France Télévisions, Groupe 25 Images and four groups representing French content creation professionals – the Guilde Française des Scénaristes, the Syndicat des Producteurs Indépendants, the Union Syndicale de la Production Audiovisuelle and the Société des Auteurs et Compositeurs Dramatiques (SACD) – have struck an agreement designed to improve the remuneration and conditions of employment of writers and boost the development of fiction production in the country.

The agreement further develops a series of principles agreed in 2011, giving France Télévisions greater control of the different phases of development of fictional works while protecting writers from incurring financial losses in cases where projects are pulled before they get made.

A second agreement between the content creator groups firms up rules governing contracts between writers and producers. The agreement provides for more secure and wide-ranging contracts to be drawn up for writers.