In a move that could revolutionize the media arena in France, French President Nicolas Sarkozy announced advertising on public TV and radio would cease. Some of the lost revenue, amounting to $1.47 billion, would be compensated by an additional tax on purchases of TVs, PCs and mobile phones.

When Sarkozy unveiled his intention to eliminate advertising on public channels early January, he said that those channels "could be financed by a tax on advertising revenues of private broadcasters and an infinitesimal tax on the revenues of new means of communication like Internet access or mobile telephony."

The French government counts on the tax on electronic devices to generate between $249 million and $497 million for a 1-to-2 percent levy on sales of selected electronic goods.

The tax was approved in principle on Jan. 14 during a meeting at the official residence of Sarkozy in Paris.