You don’t need a calculator to understand the problem: 15 frequencies are brought into play by ARCOM and 25 files are sent. Obviously there will be damage on the way out. For some observers, the game is already over because all outgoing channels are candidates for renewal. In these conditions, it is difficult to think that new candidates have a chance against established groups and leaders of the television market.
Priority to continuity
On the outgoing side, we find the first historical TNT channels with 3 TF1 channels, 3 M6 channels, BFMTV with its old and new shareholder, NRJ and 7 Canal+ channels. All these groups applied for the renewal of the concession, with TF1 adding two channels: one devoted to history, the other to humor. As a result, the number of channels claimed by the historical group increases from 15 to 17 (and 18 files under the dual application of BFMTV).
Ambitious suitors
There are therefore 7 files that are divided into several groups: first of all, two channels that would expand the newspaper title: L’EXPRESS TV by Alain Weill and OUEST FRANCE TV. The other two candidates come from the REELTV news groups CMI (Daniel Kretinsky) and MIEUX (Media Santé Info TV by Franck Papazian). Finally, 3 more surprising applications: BATV proposed by a Catholic association, OPTV presented by Ombre Première, an ultra-marine music channel and Le Media TV, an activist channel close to the LFI.
The applicant profile is much more similar to topic channel publishers than to mini-generalist publishers who are likely to generate sufficient advertising revenue to finance scheduling and distribution costs with advertising revenue. The ARCOM public hearings will allow us to learn more about each other’s chances, with a pretty obvious bonus for outgoing channels, unless ARCOM decides to shut down a few historical channels…