Just back from an afternoon at France 24, France's answer to CNN. Less than two months to go till launch date and it is still a bit of a building site. Studios still being installed, lots of banging in the corridors, fresh paint and cardboard boxes. Plus scores of young and very enthusiastic bilingual journalists. The general air of youthfulness is very striking. I fear the lack of experience may tell in the early days. But on the other hand there is nothing more refreshing -- in France -- to see so many young faces in the workplace. Not a common sight. Most semi-state enterprises (as this is) are full of aging 68-ards anxious not to relax their nefarious grip. Anyway the France 24 show hits the road end of November, with simultaneous and in theory identical transmissions in French and English. The English language newsreaders are all standing by - but there is a problem. No English-language "chroniqueurs". "Chroniqueurs" are what we might call commentators, and on French telly they are people who come on and spout for ten minutes about some aspect of current affairs. As you can imagine, such people are two and penny in Paris -- but only in French. There is no-one who can do it in English. So what are they going to do? Because in theory whenver a French "chroniqueur" is on, an English one should be too. They need to hire four of the buggers. Anyone out there interested? They asked me but I said no way. Still, I sincerely wish the enterprise well. The people I met seemed decent, well-motivated, and utterly determined to prove their journalistic independence -- which of course is going to be subject to much scrutiny given that the state is providing half the funds. Watch this space. We will be bringing you the inside picture on France's biggest foreign policy initiative since ... ummm ... the last big one.