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Culture and Leisure
THE Ministry of Culture's budget for 2000 is 16.039 billion francs (2.45 billion euros). 0.98% of the national budget.
The financing of cultural activities costs some 75 billion francs (11.43 billion euros), half provided by the State and half by local authorities.
On average, housholds spend 6.700 francs (1.021.41 euros) a year, i.e 3.5% of their budget, on culture, leisure activities, sports and games.
Books
In 1998. 47,168 books were published including 24,514 new titles and 22.654 reprints; 415 million copies were printed by 311 publishing houses.
Turnover in publishing 11998): 16 billion francs (2.44 billion euros).
Newspapers
36% of the French read a daily newspaper every day.
There are seven national newspapers and 160 regional papers (dailies and weeklies).
Total annual circulation: 9 billion.
Periodicals
Among the top 100. six have a circulation of over one million and eight over 500,000 copies.
With 1.354 copies sold for every 1.000 residents. France ranks first in the world for magazine readership.
Television
Watching television remains the favourite leisure activity of the French, with an average of 3 hours 15 minutes per person per day.
There are over 130 television channels.
* Four national public channels: France 2. France 3. Arte (Franco-German cultural channell and La Clnquieme (educational channel);
• Three national private channels: TF1, M6 and Canal Plus (pay channel with 6.6 million subscribers in France and 6.9 million abroad):
• Over 20 national and local cable channels (35% of households are connected to a cable network). 7.1% of households subscribe to specific cable channels:
• Multichannel satellite packages (Canal Satellite. TPS);
• TV5 and Canal France Internationale (CFII. are the two
television channels in Fram e's external radio apd, television network.
Radio
* Radio France is the umbrella company for the country's public service radio stations: France Inter. France Info (24-hour news). France Culture. Radio Bleue and FIP.
• The private sector is represented by the general interest stations RTL (France's most popular radio station). Europe 1 and Radio Monte Carlo and a host of music, specialist, community and regional stations broadcasting on FM.
• Radio Frame Internationale (RFI-3O million listeners worldwide). RMC-Moyen Orient aimed at the Middle East and Medi I aimed at the Maghreb form France's overseas radio broadcasting network.
Information technology and multimedia
While computers are considered primarily as tools for work and are used as such by 46% of the French, an increasing proportion. currently 23%. of French households now have one.
The French have rapidly taken to the Internet, the new form of access to knowledge, with four million users at school, work or home.
Internet use in France has grown swiftly and remarkably in a few years: every institution. daily newspaper, government department and business now has its own website and there are sites of all kinds (sport, education, services, films etc).
Finally, the most visited sites are portal sites and ISP websites such as France Telecom's Wanadoo.
Cinema
France, which Invented the cinematograph in 1895. is still very active In this sector. 141 films were produced in 1996. making France second in the world for film investment. France also coproduces an increasing number of Ulms, often with Its European Union partners.
Despite competition from television, in 1998 over 170 million people, more thair al any lime for the past thirteen
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