Paris– AFP has been awarded a major contract with EbS, the European Union’s satellite television channel.
As of October 1, the Agency will cover the movements and activities of members of the European institutions in most regions of the world. It will also establish image banks illustrating the themes of major importance to the commission, the parliament and the Council of Europe.
These videos will be broadcast on the European channel and made available to media around the world rights-free.
As part of the same contract, AFP will move photos of these events, which like the videos, will be made available to media via the platforms of the European institutions. The contract, worth tens of millions of euros over four years, is testament to the professionalism and excellence of the Agency’s photo and video production.
The video service has undergone accelerated international development since 2007. Already equipped with a network of 80 production points around the world, production volume is to triple by 2013, thus positioning itself as one of the major global video news providers.
The contract will generate a major increase in the Agency’s activities in the field of institutional services.
AFP has decided to develop this activity as a totally separate entity from editorial; the contract is being managed by a wholly-owned subsidiary of AFP and by a specially formed unit to avoid any possible conflict with its traditional role as a news agency.