Germany, France back expanding joint TV channel
BERLIN - Berlin and Paris want to expand the TV channel Arte into a major European platform amid concerns about rival powers spreading disinformation, Germany's culture minister said.
The publicly funded French and German language channel is known for covering cultural events and producing highbrow dramas.
The long-term goal is to expand it into a streaming service in numerous languages that reaches new audiences, with offerings ranging from news to films and series, according to Arte executives.
Russian and Chinese efforts to spread disinformation, combined with the US administration's moves to gut government-funded international media, meant that Europe must "make its voice of freedom heard more loudly in the world," German Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer said.
During discussions at a meeting of European culture ministers in Paris on Wednesday, French Culture Minister Rachida Dati said the platform could contribute to countering foreign influence and populist tendencies.
The idea of expanding the channel has been mooted for some time, and French President Emmanuel Macron backed the idea during a state visit to Germany last year.
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