Arte wants to get younger

[SAT-WORLD]

Without compromising its ambitious editorial line, Franco-German cultural channel Arte is working to attract younger viewers with programming including rock festivals. This is the objective of the autumn schedules that were presented this week in Paris.

“The stake for Arte is to attract the youngest and we try to meet the objective both with contents and the diversification of platforms through internet,” Jérôme Clément, Arte VP, explained. The average age of Arte’s viewers is 58 years old, but according to the direction, the summer schedules, that included programmes like Summer of the 70’s, have led to a “sensible rejuvenation”.

For this new season, Arte, whose 2009 budget will be €233 million (€11 million more than this year) is however not changing its grid a lot, but has re-jigged its design. Only one new magazine will be introduced each Sunday, dedicated to philosophy. However, the channel will multiply events with specific programming on the US elections next October, several evenings on science in November, and the broadcast of a new 12 x 52’ series on christianism from Gérard Mordillat and Jérôme Prieur called L'Apocalypse.

Over the first eight months of 2008, Arte’s ratings reached three per cent in France and 0.8% in Germany. Programmes will be broadcast in high definition on DTT from October 30.


Source:Rapid TV News