But after the creation on in the industry

Instead of a retirement deserved, you check in a new project. Definitely, you can't win. What is you left to prove

I do not want to do nothing and I have a passion for the magazine press and the creation of new newspapers. I have some ideas on the subject. I have always had the vision of a new concept a year or two before you create it.

You have done studies

Ah, no! I does never magazine on the basis of socio-demographic studies but from a cultural centre. The new project must be defined end of 2005, he will have to be well done and original, and reach its stalled at the end of the second year. The launch could take place in 2006.

You will be entirely free or supervised to Prisma release

I have the freedom to create what I want. If I didn't have this freedom, I would have not done with the Group Gruner Jahr (home of Prisma press). We work in good intelligence with them because I will not make a product that already exists. It must innovate. Gruner Jahr will be majority in the joint company. Prisma press could be provider of services in areas such as distribution, but the editorial and advertising will be independent. I do not wish to recreate Prisma but fun and work with young people that I formerai.

This is the time for you to take stock of your years Prisma.

What is your best memory, your best "shot" editorial

I do not reasoning in terms of time. I've always wanted to do magazines and I am always adapted to the situation. When Prisma is installed in France in 1978, the press was (already...) in crisis and was not at all international. It is difficult to imagine today... Thus, our first idea for return on the market was to redeem "Modes and work". Be aware that at the time, required the agreement of the Treasury. He has never responded to our request, because the French authorities then felt that if "Modes and work" was under the control of the Germans, it would endanger the French textile industry, because the German fabrics with patterns included in the log!

I remember when I told the owner of "Modes and work" if it failed to redeem his title, we would create an ourselves, he replied: "young man, I fought twice against the Germans and I will not hesitate to do so a third time!"

At the time, we decided to launch "Geo", on the model of the German "Geo". Result, it has attracted the public initially but without succeed economically because the model was based on the subscription and renewal rate was insufficient. I decided to completely change the formula, by a newspaper to all French content and developing the sales.

From now on, I understood that the press is not a totally international activity but requires local products related to a culture, a mentality. The newspaper is popular, must be rooted in the culture of the country. However, most it is high-end, it can be internationalized as behavior, for example, luxury are similar in many countries. Since then, I tried to create popular journals of high quality. My philosophy of action is that I am journalist and if in doubt, I will remain the always. This means that I always arbitrerai on the drive, the content. It is for this that I always preferred to create logs, rather than buy them. But create is not an objective in itself. The objective is the success in the long term.

What regrets do you have

Decisions related to the integration of "VOD", at the time after his redemption. It should have been more radical changes, but we were too measured because we had made commitments in the preservation of employment.

Your personality is strongly permeated the Prisma group. What are the basic principles underlying the Prisma basement and that make up the genetic code of the Group

Prisma has a strong culture that will not disappear. But it must evolve as generations pass, the market and readership change. When I arrived in the press, the market was in decline. It was an opportunity or a risk, I interpreted it as a chance. We have much innovated, we found the new codes, invented the word "angle". With "Woman today", we've redesigned a practical women, close to the readers with short, concise and informative articles. But we must recognize that these past ten years, Prisma was created less than code. Today, we must think to create new ones.

Does this mean that over time you less in touch with the market

In recent years, I've created subsidiaries in China, Russia, Poland and Italy for the Group Gruner Jahr. I had reason to do this instead of concentrating on Prisma With age, am I still in phase with the press Today, I have the time to reflect on the new codes. I have the experience and I have the necessary lucidity. The answer will be given with my first magazine.

Is a marketing man who succeeded a journalist, a symbol

Each has its history, its profile. I recruited Fabrice Boé. It comes from the world of luxury and beauty. It is not by chance, it has a sensitivity

aesthetic, which is important to make a good newspaper. We watched in the press, but we have not found the right person. It's been two years Fabrice Boé works at Prisma. It includes the press. I prefer a good manager from industry to a journalist who does not know lead. I regret that there is no more journalists who want to become managers. This, to identify with the problems of the company, to be able to make unpopular decisions. But a journalist often wants to be loved.

I think that freedom of the press through the independence public authorities and the advertisers. It must never forget that the press is a real industry and that it must be cost-effective to maintain its independence. The creation of newspapers is initially a handicraft work, can never replace a journalist who works with his emotions, his words and images. But after the creation, on in the industry. Every day, must print millions of copies and send to the points of sale. This requires a tremendous logistics.

You been misconduct on the part of your competitors on the destruction of value in including television press. This has not resulted in amplifying the competition on your credentials at the time you leave the ship

The idea that we have destroyed value is completely stupid. We have created wealth for Prisma. Who has managed to launch two millionaires titles in recent years In addition, "TV 2 weeks" has reached its point died in twelve months and "TV big chains" is already positive! Certainly, these launches have been wrong to our "TV recreation" title, but why not if all won more money It is our philosophy of open market. I always preferred to organize competition in the group to have outside. We always launched two different titles on a same niche.

One of your competitors has disbursed EUR 13 million for a launch. Don't you be afraid that inflation in the costs of launch

Successful launch of a flagship title, to increase budgets for television advertising. Prisma was the first to use television advertising and we were the first advertiser press with 25 million euros of expenditure in 2004. Television allows a gain of 40 on the time of penetration of the title.

The press is in crisis, not only in the France, with advertising revenues and a broadcast must fall at the same time. What is going on

There are two fundamental problems. The first is the emergence of electronic media such as Internet, mobile telephony and television that capture the attention and the time available to young people. While increased except twenty-four hours a day. The second problem is the editors. They know not always answer the question: how to make interesting, captivating and surprising magazines In Prisma also we did not always knew answer. Today, the new magazines are often very conventional, while the need to innovate, find a new language.

Have the free provided this breakdown

Two free daily gave no breakdown, they are very conventional, except that they are free of charge. The press walk on two legs, the dissemination and advertising. If a title to one of the legs, revenues will be limited, and therefore it will never make a quality product. Beyond that, the cult of the free is dangerous because it decreases the value of the product of press.

What do you think of the leak in front of the newspapers in the "more products", another solution to combat the crisis

Should not be confused with the "more products" and "derivatives". In Prisma we develop products on strong brands such as "Current woman" or "Geo". These products are complementary and the reader pays a higher price to acquire. It is different from a product consisting of the newspaper and a DVD that has nothing to do with the sole purpose to make sales. Today, the problem of the publishers, it is growth. The organic is virtually negative with 13 of sales and less on the past five years. However, show an annual growth of 5 as Prisma, to successful launches and develop derivative products.

How to break this vicious circle How to retrieve lost readers

The daily press, above all, must get his consumer. Newspapers need to be closer to the concerns of their readers, but we have seen with the outcome of the referendum that there is a real gap between the press and the public. It must also be that the press will resolve its problems of distribution, portage and loyalty of their readers.

About the referendum on Europe, you are a European convinced, you had the intention to take a position through your publications. Will Prisma go further in the policy

When we arrived in France in the 1980s, we had other concerns to deal with the policy and, in addition, it had to be cut short at any trial of intention. Today, the situation is different, it doesn't bother me that one of our newspapers addresses political themes. There is no taboo, since policy is part of life and interests of readers. However, Prisma will not create a purely as "opinion", but we will talk about politics in our titles. The new formula of "Current woman" speaks, for example, policy.