Visibility of audiovisual services on connected screens: Arcom specifies the conditions for implementing the Services of General Interest (SIG) regime

The vast majority of today's viewers watch audio and video content on connected TV sets and screens. The interfaces of these screens are managed by a variety of players, including Internet service providers and their "boxes", manufacturers of connected TV sets, and application stores, which aggregate a multitude of supplies. As a result, viewers are finding it increasingly difficult to access familiar audiovisual services and programs quickly and easily. Audiovisual groups, for their part, need to be able to reach their audiences directly in order to finance their investment in content.

In order to meet the challenges of plurality and cultural diversity raised by this situation, Arcom is today publishing two draft resolutions on so-called services of general interest (SGI), in application of the European directive on audiovisual media services and the law of September 30, 1986 on freedom of communication.

These texts make provision for the services of public audiovisual groups, as well as free-to-air private channels authorized for national DTT and associated on-demand audiovisual media services, to be considered as services of general interest, and as such to benefit in future from measures to ensure their "appropriate visibility" on connected screens. Interface operators will be required to comply with these measures.

The draft resolutions are accompanied by a notice recommending that these measures be deployed in the form of a common application set up by the publishers concerned, enabling fast, simple and ergonomic access to GIS from connected screens.

The deliberations and this notice meet three objectives: to facilitate the user experience; to guarantee satisfactory exposure of audio and video group services and content; and to ensure simple implementation procedures for interface operators.

These texts have been drawn up following extensive discussions over the past few months with editors, interface operators, the European Commission and several of Arcom's European counterparts engaged in drawing up similar rules, in particular in Germany, Italy and the UK. They will be notified to the European Commission, which will have three months to examine them. They will be effective from the end of this procedure.

It will be up to the players concerned to implement this new manager as quickly as possible, for the benefit of the public.

Arcom will accompany these developments and regularly assess the scheme, which may lead to changes in the scope of services of general interest, in accordance with the principle of proportionality laid down in article 20-7 of the law of September 30, 1986.

Summary of contributions to the public consultation on the scope of services of general interest

Draft deliberation on the list of services qualified as being of general interest, in application of the provisions of article 20-7 of law no. 86-1067 of September 30, 1986 on freedom of communication.

Draft legislation concerning the conditions for appropriate visibility of services of general interest and the procedures for collecting the information mentioned in article 20-7 of law no. 86-1067 of September 30, 1986 on freedom of communication.

Note presenting a scheme to ensure appropriate visibility of services of general interest