Decree of May 26, 2010 on technical assistance to ensure continuity of reception of free-to-air television services

Decree no. 2010-546 of May 26, 2010 on technical assistance for certain households to ensure uninterrupted reception of free-to-air television services

The Prime Minister,

On the report of the Minister of Culture and Communication,

Having regard to the Social Security Code ;

Having regard to Law no. 86-1067 of September 30, 1986, as amended, on freedom of communication, in particular articles 99 and 100;

Having regard to the opinion of the French Superior Audiovisual Council dated April 13, 2010,

Decree:

Article 1
The technical assistance provided by article 100 of the aforementioned law of September 30, 1986 is intended to enable the effective reception of free-to-air television services after the end of their analog terrestrial broadcasting method. It is implemented by the public interest group created by the same article under the conditions set out in the following articles.

Article 2
Technical assistance consists of free intervention in viewers' homes to adjust any scheme other than the external reception antenna that they have acquired to receive the television services mentioned in Article 1.

Article 3
To benefit from the technical assistance provided for in Article 1, the household making the demand must meet the following conditions:
1° They own a television receiver or similar scheme in a dwelling located in a geographical area where the French Superior Audiovisual Council has decided to switch off analog broadcasting, and where the reception conditions for free-to-air terrestrial television services shown in digital mode on the date of switching off analog broadcasting are known;
2° The dwelling in which the equipment or scheme is held constitutes the principal residence of the household;
3° All members of the household meet at least one of the following conditions:
- they are over 70 years of age ;
- they have a permanent disability rate of at least 80%.
Technical assistance is provided only once per household meeting the conditions specified above, on a single television receiver or similar scheme adapted for the reception of free-to-air television services broadcast by terrestrial hertzian means in digital mode.

Article 4
Requests for technical assistance must be made to the public interest group no later than one month after the end of analog terrestrial broadcasting in the geographical area where the dwelling in question is located.
When technical assistance is provided in the household, the beneficiaries must provide proof of their eligibility for this measure, by producing the supporting documents listed in advance by the group.
Technical assistance is deemed to have been provided if the beneficiary is absent on the day the intervention was scheduled with the group, or if the beneficiary was unable to produce the supporting documents listed in the previous paragraph, or if he or she does not have a suitable scheme for the reception of free-to-air television services broadcast by terrestrial hertzian means in digital mode.

Article 5
The accounting and financial management of the implementation of technical assistance is carried out by the public interest group mentioned in Article 1, in an account separate from those recording the other operations it carries out.
Before March 31st each year, the group shall report to the ministers responsible for the budget and communication on the implementation of the technical assistance provided for in Article 1, in a report presenting in particular the requests received, the expenditure incurred, the operations in progress and the guidelines adopted for the following year.

Article 6
The present decree applies to Wallis and Futuna, French Polynesia, New Caledonia and the French Southern and Antarctic Lands.

Article 7
The Minister of the Interior, Overseas France and Territorial Collectivities, the Minister of the Budget, Public Accounts and State Reform, the Minister of Culture and Communication, the Minister attached to the Minister of the Interior, Overseas France and Territorial Collectivities, responsible for Overseas France, and the Secretary of State responsible for Forward Planning and the Development of the Digital Economy are each responsible for the execution of this decree, which will be published in the Journal officiel de la République française.