France And Spain Impose Quotas

Europe's response to a perceived cultural threat from the United States intensified today as the French Senate approved a law obliging radio stations to play at least 40 percent French music and the Spanish Parliament imposed restrictions on the dubbing and projection of American movies.

The decisions underscored a growing sentiment in Europe, which came to light during world trade talks that concluded last week, that Hollywood and the American entertainment industry pose a threat to European culture that must be confronted if the Continent's identity is to be preserved.

"There is a sudden realization in Europe now that a country or continent with a strong movie and broadcasting industry will be strong in the next century, and those without these industries will be weak," said Daniel Toscan de Plantier, the president of Unifrance, the French film industry association. 2 Songs Out of 5

The French Senate approved a law that has already passed in the National Assembly, the Parliament's lower house, imposing a quota of 40 percent French songs for radio stations, adding an amendment that the quota must be met during prime time as well as other times. The amended legislation is expected to gain final parliamentary approval this week.

"A 40 percent quota seems to me to be reasonable," said the French Communications Minister, Alain Carignon. "How could anyone find the idea that two songs out of five should be French excessive? Without such measures, our culture will be homogenized."

The proposed quota will apply to all radio stations, public and private, and stations that fail to comply will face fines. Quotas are already applied on French television stations, where 40 percent of programs must be French and 60 percent European, but no such limits have previously been applied to radio stations.

"This law is absurd, and I reject the idea of quotas," said Jean-Pierre Ozannat, the general director of the private radio station Europe 1. "The real problem in France is not distribution, but production. Instead of applying quotas, we should encourage the production of good music. A radio station has to play what people like."

But Philippe Francois, a Senator for the conservative Gaullist party, said the radio quota was essential to encourage French musicians. "This is not a reserve for Indians that we are proposing, but a reservoir for new talent, especially among the young," he said. Spain Limits Dubbing

In Spain, the Parliament today approved a law saying that in towns with more than 125,000 inhabitants, every two days cinemas dedicate to American films must be followed by one day for European films. In smaller towns, cinemas will have to show one day of European movies for every three given of American films.

Proposed by the Socialist Government of Felipe Gonzalez, the law is intended to encourage European films at a time when Hollywood accounts for just less than 80 percent of the Spanish box office.

The legislation also imposes strict limits on dubbing. A license to dub any foreign film will be given only to a movie distribution company that has already shown European films earning about $143,000 in box-office receipts during the year.

With the average European film earning about $64,000 in Spain, the law effectively means that a company will have to show three European films before it can obtain a license to dub a Hollywood production. Most American movies in Spain are currently dubbed, and there is little public demand for films with subtitles.

In protest of the law, all 1,807 cinemas in Spain closed yesterday, saying their livelihood was threatened. But a Spanish director, Jose Luis Garcia Sanchez, insisted the measure was necessary to protect European culture. "If people want to see U.S. movies, let them watch them in the original with subtitles," he said in a radio interview. Forms of Protectionism

A vitriolic dispute over protectionist film quotas and France's subsidies to its movie industry dominated the final stages of world trade talks last week. In the end, the entertainment industry was left out of a General Agreement on Tariffs and Trade because no accord could be reached between the United States and Europe.

European, and particularly French, film directors say the American market is closed to them through various forms of veiled protectionism. They say that an assertion from Hollywood that dubbed European films would not work in the American market is false. European movies currently account for about 2 percent of box-office receipts in the United States.