Government backs TF1 against Canal Plus

net1

A government commissioner has found in favour of TF1's challenge of DTT licences awarded to the Canal Plus group. In his conclusions, the commissioner recommended cancelling the licences to the channels Sport+, i-Tele, Planete, CineCinema, Premier, iMCM, and Canal j. The decision does not affect the premium channel Canal +.

In its complaint, TF1 pointed out that Canal + and the Lagardere Group jointly controlled two of these channels, iMCM and Canal-j and so should be counted among the licences awarded to both of the operators. At the time of the call for tenders, the upper limit was five channel licences per operator. IMCM is owned by Lagardere Thematiques, while Canal j is owned by Canal j International, which is 100 per cent owned by Lagardere Thematiques. Lagardere Thematiques is jointly owned by Lagardere Images (51 per cent) and Canal + (49 per cent).

This upper limit for licences has now been amended to seven, but the commissioner considered that the law as it was at the time should be applied. He stated that although the ceiling has been raised, it modified the conditions of the contest and so a new call for tenders would need to be issued.

The Council of State will issue its decision in about two weeks.