National DTT call for tenders: agreements signed and authorizations issued

• BFM TV (Société BFM TV)
• CMI TV (Société CMI France)
• CNEWS (Société d'exploitation d'un service d'information)
• CSTAR (Société CSTAR)
• GULLI (JEUNESSE TV company)
• LCI (LA CHAÎNE INFO company)
• OFTV (OUEST-FRANCE TV company)
• PARIS PREMIERE (PARIS PREMIERE company)
• TFX (Company TFX)
• TMC (TELE MONTE CARLO company)
• W9 (Société EDI-TV)

The Authority assessed each project in the light of the criteria laid down in the French law of September 30, 1986, in particular the public interest and the plurality of socio-cultural currents of expression. After examining all the applications, the Authority authorized services whose programs and themes complemented the existing supply and added diversity to the audiovisual landscape. The authorizations issued follow the conclusion by Arcom and the publishers concerned of agreements applicable to the eleven channels.

Arcom has taken note of the Canal + group's decision not to proceed with the application of its pre-selected pay-TV channels under the provisions of the public hearings held last July. It considered that this decision was not such as to call into question the number of services authorized to broadcast free-to-air on DTT as part of the frequency allocation proceedings, given the need to guarantee the survival financing of these services in the context of an eroding advertising market with shrinking prospects.

The question of a new allocation of this resource may be re-examined at a later date, once the Authority has carried out an impact study in accordance with article 31 of the law of September 30, 1986.

Unsuccessful applicants will be notified of the reasons for their rejection in the next few days.

For service editors who already hold a frequency, these decisions will take effect when their previous authorization expires, thus guaranteeing continuity of service for viewers. For the new services CMI TV and OFTV, the authorizations will start on March 1, 2025 and September 1, 2025 respectively, in line with the commitments made in their applications and during the public hearings.

The agreements signed by the authorized channels include new guarantees of plurality of expression and opinion, honesty and independence of news and programs, and significant advances in social commitments.

The regulator will be browsing service editors in the next few days, and will finalize its position in January.