Public consultation on the future of DTT and television media

Objectives of the public consultation

The Autorité de Régulation de la Communication Audiovisuelle et Numérique (Arcom) is launching a public consultation on the future of digital terrestrial television and the television medium.

This consultation is intended, first and foremost, to gather the views of anyone interested in the use of the radioelectric resource that will be available after December 11, 2027, when the authorizations granted for terrestrial broadcasting of six national television services expire: TF1 Séries Films, L'Équipe, 6Ter, RMC Story, RMC Découverte and RMC Life. In accordance with the provisions of article 30-1 of the law of September 30, 1986, this resource can only be reallocated following a call for tenders. As stipulated in article 31 of the same law, the consultation will be followed by a public impact study.

Arcom also wishes to reflect on the future of the television medium as a whole, with a view to publishing a white paper in the first half of 2027. In addition to the targeted questionnaires that have already been sent to various categories of players, Arcom intends to give all those who so wish the opportunity to express their views on this subject. More specifically, the questions raised concern the conditions of service distribution and possible changes to the regulatory framework to enable national audiovisual players to face up to the competition.

Finally, the consultation concerns a possible extension of the scope of services of general interest to local television stations, in accordance with article 20-7 of the law of September 30, 1986.

Presentation of the document

The consultation is organized into four parts, each responding to the objectives set out above.

The first part is devoted to an overview of the current situation. As a result of the digital revolution, the television sector is undergoing an upheaval in terms of offerings and usage. The role of television is measured alongside the new delinearized services, which are now gaining in importance. The public's preference for delinearized content is the subject of developments designed to provide a better understanding of the players' positions. In particular, the position of television publishers, both private and public, national and local, is examined in the face of competition from platforms. The study defines the impact of these transformations on the television business model, distinguishing between revenues, whose sustainability is being called into question, and costs, which are under considerable pressure, particularly in terms of content acquisition.

The second part deals with the future of DTT. It gives a detailed presentation of the offering at both national and local level, and of the platform's strengths and limitations. This is followed by a discussion of the consequences of the decline in this mode of broadcasting. In the short term, there are many questions to be answered, relating to the use of available resources, but also to the geographical coverage of broadcast services. In the longer term, there are questions about the future of DTT if it becomes marginal. Strategies that could be implemented here are discussed, and a roadmap for the coming years is proposed.

The third section deals with the challenges posed by the expiry in 2027 of the authorizations granted for the broadcasting of six television services (DTT 3). It describes the current offer, and sets out the procedures for allocating radioelectric resources, as well as the obligations and commitments for future authorized services.

Finally, the last section proposes a reflection on the modernization of the regulatory framework. The first line of analysis concerns the distribution of television services, and addresses the issue of their visibility. The consultation then reviews the obligations applicable to these services, identifies regulatory asymmetries, and considers changes which, if implemented, would enable national players to compete more effectively.

This document contains analyses based on information available at this stage, some of which is forward-looking. They are intended to be clarified, consolidated and, if necessary, adjusted at the end of the consultation process, in the light of contributions from stakeholders and additional information gathered. Consequently, the positions and orientations set out in this document cannot be considered definitive at this stage.

Terms of participation

The consultation is open to anyone wishing to comment on all or part of the document.

Contributions must be sent to Arcom by June 15, 2026 at the latest, by e-mail to consultation.publique@arcom.fr.