TF1, M6 lose bid for French channel slot

French broadcasters TF1 and M6 have expressed disappointment that their proposed joint teleshopping channel has failed to secure a place in media regulator the CSA’s list of successful candidates for new HD digital-terrestrial frequencies.

The pair said that their project would have delivered something new in France, would have allowed French small and medium-sized enterprises to reach a wide audience and would have provided employment to several hundred people.

They said that teleshopping channels had been highly successful on DTT elsewhere in Europe and that they remain convinced that such a channel would enjoy success in France.

The CSA last week announced that 12 channels would be able to launch HD services on the platform as it transitioned to MPEG-4 compression, which is expected to be completed next April.

The successful channels are news channel BFM TV HD, Canal+ Cinéma HD, Canal+ Sport HD, Canal+ free-to-air channels D17 and D8, youth-oriented Gulli HD, information channel iTélé HD, entertainment channels NRJ12 en HD, NT1 HD, TMC HD and W9 HD, and pay documentary channel Planète+.

Apart from these channels, capacity is reserved for HD versions of public channels France 3, France 4, France 5 and France Ô, La Chaîne Parlementaire and channels already available in SD that are looking to migrate to HD.