FEBRUARY 3, 1997

... but France waits

THE French Grand Prix has been given three more months in which to find a solution to the legal problems surrounding the televising of the event. FOCA has an exclusive contract with the TF1 channel for the televising of the event. Rival channel FR3 took FOCA boss Ecclestone to court claiming the right to film at Magny-Cours because a public event could not be closed to news cameras. The court agreed and FR3 was able to force Ecclestone to back down. Unhappy that this will set a precedent the FIA decided that the French sporting authorities must sort out the problem or the race will not take place.

The President of the French motor sporting federation Jacques Regis, Jean Glavany of the Association de Circuit de Nevers Magny-Cours and the promoter of the event Philippe Gurdjian are confident that the problem can be solved by April 30 so that the contract with FOCA is fulfilled.

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