Montreal: Paris-based La Sept arte, the French pole of the Franco-German cultural network arte, has taken a minority position with pubcasters Radio-Canada and Tele-Quebec in a new joint venture specialty channel application called Reseau des Arts. The application is one of 71 filed with the crtc in the current round which closed Sept. 30.

La Sept’s role in rda would include supplying primetime performing arts programs and as an equity shareholder with 20% of the service.

The French government is expected to retable legislation amalgamating La Sept arte and the education network La Cinquieme, both headed by president Jerome Clement. The two services have combined annual budgets of over us$300 million, says Michel Anthonioz, associate-director, international for arte.

La Sept arte operates two subsidiaries, La Sept Video, which produces and markets for the home video market, and La Sept Cinema, a film production company.

In New York this fall for a Museum of Television and Radio tribute to arte, Anthonioz met with executives from u.s. specialty services including Bravo!, a&e and Ovation as well as with officials from major-market pbs stations.

Anthonioz told Playback he would be in Montreal in late November for talks on the proposed Canadian specialty channel.