Germany and France aim to transform the Arte television channel into a major European platform to better combat the spread of disinformation, the German Culture Minister announced on Wednesday.
Efforts by Russia and China to spread disinformation, coupled with actions by the US administration to curtail government-funded international media, mean Europe must “make its free voice heard more loudly in the world,” said German Culture Minister Wolfram Weimer.
At a meeting of European Culture Ministers, held in Paris on Wednesday, French Culture Minister Rachida Dati stated that the platform could help counter foreign influence and populist trends.
Arte, a publicly funded Franco-German channel, is renowned for its coverage of cultural events and high-quality fictional productions.
The long-term goal is to develop it into a streaming service available in multiple languages to reach new audiences, offering content ranging from news to films and series, according to Arte’s leaders.
The idea of expanding the channel has been under discussion for some time, and French President Emmanuel Macron supported it during a state visit to Germany last year.
