France’s M6 sues over TF1 buying channels - report

April 6th, 2010 - 11:45 UTC by Andy Sennitt.

France’s second-largest broadcaster M6 has filed a complaint to France’s highest court over regulators’ approval of rival TF1 buy of two TV channels, reported Les Echos newspaper. Nicolas de Tavernost, chief executive of M6, told the newspaper in an interview that M6 would do everything it could to contest the deal, which allowed France’s largest broadcaster TF1 to expand its presence in digital free-to-air channels by acquiring TMC and NT1.

“The decision is a grave error on the part of the television regulators (Council of State),” he told the newspaper. “This deal reinforces the broadcaster that is already in a dominant position, and further weighs down the French television sector with risks.”

The Council of State (CSA), which regulates broadcast TV in France, approved TF1’s purchase of the two channels on 24 March, imposing eight conditions on the group that it said were intended to blunt any negative impact of the deal. For example, TF1 would not have the right to sell ads across all its channels or link ad sales or discounts on various channels. The CSA also imposed conditions on the programming TF1 could put on the two other channels, such as limiting the hours of non-French programmes and requiring NT1 to air an hour-long cultural programme every week.

Mr Tavernost dismissed the conditions the CSA imposed on TF1 as not going far enough. “First the conditions are temporary, and above all they do not resolve the essential question of TF1’s dominant position,” he said. “A weekly cultural TV show on NT1 will not change anything at all for the crucial question of the equilibrium, diversity, and pluralism of TV operators.”