Elton John and his husband David Furnish are enjoying their summer break!
02.08.2022 - 08:59 / deadline.com
French senators approved controversial government legislation abolishing the country’s 89-year-old TV license fee in the early hours of Tuesday morning after a two-hour late-night debate.
The 348-member upper house, in which centre-right affiliated members hold the majority, voted in favor of the legislation 196 votes to 147.
The fee, currently set at 138 euros ($141) a year, generated €3.2b in 2022 and provides the lion’s share of funding for France Télévisions, Radio France, Franco-German broadcaster Arte and international TV channels France 24 and RFI.
Under the legislation, the 23 million French households owning TV sets that currently pay the fee will not be billed this fall. The government is proposing that funding for the sector is now taken out of value-added tax (VAT) revenues.
However, Tuesday’s Senate also approved an amendment to the bill stating that this method of funding could only be a temporary measure lasting until December 31, 2024.
The future of the license fee – which was first introduced in 1933 to pay for radio services and expanded to cover TV in 1946 – has been under debate for close to a decade amid the rise of digitisation and multi-platform viewing.
The decision to suddenly scrap the fee, however, follows an election promise by President Emmanuel Macron during his re-election campaign in March.
Most of the senators taking to the floor on Monday evening agreed the fee was “obsolete” and needed rethinking, but many speakers voiced discontent at the precipitous way it was being abolished.
Centre-right senator Roger Karoutchi said the country’s state audiovisual sector had been ripe for reform for years and that the abolishment of the license fee was just one aspect of such an overhaul.
He said
Elton John and his husband David Furnish are enjoying their summer break!
“You always hope every show you do is a massive revolutionary force that changes people’s lives,” says RuPaul’s Drag Race producer Fenton Bailey, “but so rarely is that the case.” But by any metric, World of Wonder’s long-running reality show — in which ever more outrageous drag queens compete for the approval of its imperious host RuPaul — is exactly that show. Across all of its TV and digital properties, the franchise received 11 Emmy nominations this year, and if the main Drag Race competition show wins six, it will make it the fifth most Emmy-winning TV show in history. And that’s not all: After spawning 14 U.S. seasons since it first appeared in 2009, the show’s format has been exported to the UK, Canada, France, Italy, Spain, Holland, Thailand and the Philippines, with Belgium and Sweden to follow next year.
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck will reportedly host a three-day wedding celebration for their friends and family this weekend, one month after they tied the knot in Las Vegas. A source revealed to Page Six on Monday that the three-day “intimate celebration for family and friends” will begin with a rehearsal dinner on Friday, followed by the wedding ceremony on Saturday. The couple will reportedly conclude the weekend on Sunday with a barbecue and picnic.
is. That’s why acting jobs are called roles.”Maher pointed out that Leguizamo has played a Columbia American, a Venetian, a French little person and an Italian plumber when he is none of those things.
Ben Affleck is living his best life! While out and about in Santa Monica, California, the 49-year-old actor had his new wife, Jennifer Lopez, in one arm and a bag of Dunkin Donuts goodies in the other!Affleck, who has been photographed on numerous occasions with Dunkin products, and Lopez have both returned to California after their trip to Paris, France, following their Las Vegas wedding. During this recent outing, the newlyweds shared a kiss and, in addition to their donut run, took their kids to Huckleberry Cafe in Santa Monica.
France’s lower and upper houses of parliament “definitively adopted” a cost-of-living crisis budget package late Thursday containing legislation scrapping the country’s 89-year-old TV license.
France, Match Me! focuses on emerging producers. Featuring new projects from tracked auteurs – Lithuania’s Ignas Jonynas, India’s Payal Kapadia and Mexico’s Francisco Vargas – and winners at Cannes, San Sebastian and other major meets, many producers look only a title or two from full emergence. If the fulsome slates of some producers are anything to go by – DR’s Leticia Brea, Estonia’s Tallifornia and Kask Films, for instance – production is a going concern in countries outside traditional production centers. (Distribution, whether to platforms or in theaters, may be another matter).
Dawn French took to social media on Thursday to reshare a very impressive post from her rarely-seen nephew Jack French who has an unbelievable talent.MORE: Dawn French debuts striking silver hairdo as she teases exciting newsTaking to her Instagram Stories, the 64-year-old reshared a clip of a brilliant clay sculpture of a chimpanzee cyclops, made by the graduate - and it is incredible!WATCH: Dawn French shares impressive video of rarely-seen nephew's talentBeaming with pride, Dawn captioned the post: "My nephew made this!" and reshared a video from the artist who updated his followers with a video panning around his impressive creation.SEE: Dawn French shares teeth transformation from the dentist – see photoREAD: Dawn French shares hilarious health quirk she's noticed in her 60s – fans reactThe mother-of-one also took to the comments of the original post from Jack which, as well as the video, had a selection of fabulous close-up photos of his masterpiece. The comedian penned: "AMAAAAZING JACK!" on the spectacular update.
The French government’s controversial move to abolish the country’s 89-year-old TV license fee is due to be voted on by France’s upper house this week.
NBA icon Bill Russell has died aged 88. The Boston Celtics veteran racked up 11 titles with the team from 1956 and 1969 and won an Olympic gold medal in Melbourne with the United States in 1956. His two NCAA titles at San Francisco in 1955 and ’56 paved the way for him to become a five-time NBA MVP and 12-time All-Star.
International sales agents Hengameh Panahi, Grégoire Melin, producers Philippe Rousselet, Didar Domehri and directors Jacques Audiard and Michel Gondry have been named as the members of France’s new-look Oscar committee.
Jennifer Lopez has been spotted out and about with her new husband Ben Affleck as they enjoy their honeymoon in Paris. J.Lo, 53, made the trip to the French capital with the Batman actor, 49, after their Vegas wedding earlier this month, and the pair have looked suitably loved-up during their romantic getaway.The couple were spotted getting dinner at Le Flore en l'Île on Monday evening, with J-Lo looking stunning as she flaunted her honeymoon wardrobe.
Ben Affleck and Jennifer Lopez have been enjoying a romantic honeymoon in Paris after they eloped to Las Vegas and tied the knot last week. Whilst honeymoons are supposed to be a happy time, Ben, 49, has been spotted breaking down in tears and being comforted by his new wife Jennifer, 53, whilst they were at a private dinner in the French capital.
Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck are making the most of their honeymoon. The newlyweds were photographed having dinner near the Eiffel Tower, in Paris. The two looked stylish and like they were having fun, sitting at their table with a balloon they brought themselves and taking pictures of each other.Jennifer Lopez’s mom on her wedding with Ben Affleck: ‘Lupe has always said that Ben is her true love’Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck flew to the city of love to continue celebrating their matrimonyA post shared by benniferstan (@benniferstan)Lopez wore a black dress while Affleck wore a black suit pants.
French MPs have voted to end the TV licence fee as part of a bill aimed at tackling the country’s cost of living crisis, in a move that has provoked fears over the future independence of French state broadcasters.
Emily in Paris, right now we're all about Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck! Enjoying a romantic honeymoon in the City of Love, the pair have been spotted out and about in the French capital – and they've got that newlywed glow. RELATED: Jennifer Lopez spends joyous day with Ben Affleck and children as she marks birthday in ParisHeading out on a luxurious shopping spree to Dior followed by a stroll past the Louvre Museum on Sunday, Jennifer and Ben looked picture perfect as they completed their afternoon at a nearby restaurant. WATCH: Jennifer Lopez and Ben Affleck marry in Las VegasStepping out in a vibrant red dress from one of her favourite brands, JLo's halterneck midi is the 'Stassie' by eco-friendly label, Reformation.
Ben Affleck is taking it easy following his intimate wedding to Jennifer Lopez. The actor was spotted aboard a river cruise on the Seine River in Paris, France, where the newlyweds are vacationing alongside their children.In the pics, Affleck, who was dressed in a blue button-down shirt layered over a white t-shirt with matching blue slacks, dozed off while sitting aboard the open-air cruise.