The sale is not made far from it he said

A dedicated process to failure from the outset After the theatre of the suspension of the process of privatization of France television advertising (FTP) last Tuesday, the explanation is time. The consortium formed by the Lov and Publicis group, entered exclusive negotiations in February with France television for her return to 70 of the capital of its governance, does not really like the room that is now. It considers nothing more nor less than the public group is never really entered in the set of exclusive negotiations.

Already in February, barely the ink dried exclusivity contract, Patrick de Carolis, President of France television, put things at the point in the "Sunday Journal", to the chagrin of Lov-Publicis. "The sale is not made, far from it", he said.

Last week, on the eve of the Board of Directors which has recorded the suspension of the process, Maurice Lévy, Chairman of the Executive Board of Publicis, and Stéphane Courbit, the Lov Group, have written to Patrick de Carolis. Since the timely emergence of the debate on the maintenance of the advertising during the day, the sounds of a delay in the process of sale of FTP were, rightly, increasingly strong. "We consider that the questions that you could have have been lifted and we ask you officially to finally open negotiations under our agreements and in accordance with our commitments," they wrote in a letter dated 12 April. In fact, for the two leaders, France Televisions did everything to delay the process. Only two conditions precedent were provided in the contract of exclusive: the opinion of the committees of business of the companies concerned (France television and France television advertising) and the resolution of the problems of conflict of interest. The FTP Committee ruled unanimously for the supply of Lov-Publicis. Of France television did not decide, the question having been withdrawn from the agenda in March. On the problem of conflict of interest, groups of work established by France television concluded that there was not. This has not prevented Patrice Duhamel, the number two of the group, and Frédéric Mitterrand, the Minister of Culture and Communication, to see a problem of "ethics" in this operation.

The reaction of France television soon. Wonder of the overall "tone" of the letter from Maurice Lévy and Stéphane Courbit, Patrick de Carolis has proposed the week last as the two parties "determine all developments to our exclusive negotiations to take account of these circumstances", i.e. the uncertainty related to the maintenance, or not, advertising during the day.

The time of the explanations

What has not been pleased to the purchasers. In a new letter to Patrick de Carolis Monday, they themselves are again moved. "We cannot ourselves that amaze us how the process of negotiation on an exclusive basis is carried out since the signing of the letter of exclusivity.". And further: "Since the beginning of this process, we met with many obstacles, have been faced with a blur destabilizing and now face an imposed suspension of negotiations." "You will understand, we are safe, our much discontent legitimate, especially as it must be remembered, is your agent who came to pick us up that we were involved in a process that you have initiated". Maurice Lévy and Stéphane Courbit occur however ready to discuss the facilities offered by France television. In a still also fuzzy calendar.