The French government will today discuss a bill withdrawing the so-called ‘bonus channels’ awarded to TF1, M6 and Canal+.
Last September, the European Commission sent a reasoned opinion to France asking Paris to reconsider the issue of bonus channels, which it considered “contrary to EU law.”
The French government had planned to issue an additional bonus channel to each of the ‘historical broadcasters’, TF1, M6 and Canal+, who each had an analogue broadcasting licence. The bonus channels were to be awarded as compensation for the premature termination of the analogue licence and for the costs of simulcasting in analogue and digital for a number of years.
But these gifts to the broadcasters to sweeten the analogue – digital switchover are deemed to be anti-competitive by the European Commission.
Meanwhile, the three broadcasters are looking at taking action against the repeal of the bonus channels. Nicolas de Tavernost, CEO of M6, recently told Le Monde, they are now free to ask for compensation: “The question of compensation, validated by the Constitutional Council, remains open.”
The news of the retraction of the bonus offer by the French government comes at the same time when the country completely switch off its analogue transmitter networks. Originally, the bonus channels were due to
