French Connection

He is like the channel he heads colourful, lively and controversial. But that does not bother Jim Hodgetts, advisor for development of the international French-language channel, TV5. I have a job to do and I do it earnestly, even if it upsets a few people, says Hodgetts. In India, TV5, with nearly one million connections is already offering its channels to schools and universities; major hotels and cable operators in major towns. The channel has also drawn up plans for some India specific programmes. To begin with, it is preparing a special programme schedule on the occasion of the 1998 Republic Day celebrations for which President Jacques Chirac is the guest of honour. The programme, to be telecast from January 19-26, 1998, will be broadcast throughout the Asia-Pacific region, Europe, North and South America and Africa.

Hodgetts is very optimistic about the channel. I think India is a great country and I see no problems in TV5 becoming popular here.

However, TV5 has already ruffled a few feathers in India. The channel has been criticised for showing programmes/films with explicit and implicit nudity. However, Hodgetts does not agree with this view: I see more garbage on other satellite channels than on TV5, he adds.

Apart from his involvement with TV5, Jim Hodgetts, a former TV drama director, producer and journalist of Irish origin, is also an advisor to the French president Jacques Chirac, on cultural and technological matters.

He also runs his own international consulting company. The Paris-based company deals in international co-productions, channel programming strategy, satellite broadcasting and new technology. If all this not enough, Hodgetts also teaches media at the Sorbonne and the University of Barcelona.