DTT Capacity Decision

France’s broadcasting regulator, the Conseil supérieur de l’audiovisuel (CSA), has issued its decision on how capacity on the DTT platform will be used in future after a review of the responses to its consultation issued in June 2009.
The CSA has decided to provide viewers with access to one free-to-air service from the public service broadcaster and one new pay-DTT service.
The public service broadcaster France Télévisions is to make its France Ô service available nationwide, extending its current Paris region limit.
A tender will also be issued for new Pay-TV services and in addition the CSA has announced that two additional DTT multiplexes will be launched once the analogue switch-off is completed in November 2011. The new multiplexes are to be designated R7 and R8.
R7 will offer two free-to-air services in HD and two pay-DTT services in SD while R8 will offer new services from the existing broadcasters on the analogue terrestrial platform (TF1, M6, Canal+).
The decision on the allocation of the remaining capacity on R7 and R8 will be made later.
Source: CSA website
Item added: 17th May 2010