Canal Plus fined E105,000

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The French broadcasting regulator CSA has imposed two fines on Canal Plus. The first, E70,000, is for exceeding the amount of advertising allowed in a given hour, on two occasions during March and May 2003. The second, E35,000, is for 'hidden advertising', the prominent display of trademarks during a documentary programme.

The CSA has also given notice to channel supplier AB Sat to provide full details of the programmes broadcast on eleven of the channels it supplies. The information that the group currently includes in the annual report of its channels is not sufficient for the CSA to determine whether the channels respect their obligations. The CSA had already reminded AB Groupe of its obligations in a circular letter to all channel suppliers in 1997, and again in a letter specifically to AB Groupe in February 2002.