FT gets into the film biz

French telecoms heavyweight France Télécom (FT) has set up a film rights division to produce films and purchase libraries, it said in a statement yesterday. The subsidiary will be set up in the first quarter of next year and will be headed by Patricia Langrand under the auspices of the telco’s content division. FT has already stated its intentions to ramp up its presence in the video-on-demand (VOD) segment and signed a deal with members of the French film industry last December. FT’s move is considered by many to be logical given the trend towards market convergence in the country.