:: 27/03/2002

French DTT applicants

Below is the full list of applications filed with the CSA for French DTT (digital terrestrial television) licences (see report, advanced-television.com news archive Monday 25/3/02).

Applications have been received from the following media groups: AB Groupe: a leading French production company, which already supplies a range of 18 channels to cable and satellite operators. All of the group's DTT applications are for completely new channels, with the exception of the general entertainment channel RTL9, which leads the ratings for cable/satellite specific channels. Domino (leisure channel, free), Mix (music channel, free), Neo (young adults, free), DT1 (entertainment, free), Post (culture, free), Tooka (children's, free), AB1 (entertainment, pay), RTL9 (general, pay), Jules TV (modern man, including X-rated at night, pay), Terra Nova (environment, pay). Amaury Groupe: Publisher of the sports daily newspaper L'Equipe, has applied for its Equipe TV channel, which is already present on cable and satellite (sports news, pay). Disney: Disney has filed for its Fox Kids channel, already present on cable and satellite (pay). France Television: The public sector broadcaster has applied for two pay channels, already present on cable and TPS satellite platform, to complement the eight free channels it has already been allocated: Festival and Histoire (evening pay channels). Canal + Groupe: all projects for pay channels; all are already present on cable and satellite: 13e Rue, Canal Plus and Canal Plus Jaune (multiplixes of premium channel), i-Television (news), Sport + (channel formed by acquisition of Pathe Sport). Lagardere: Media group, a shareholder in channel supplier Multithematiques, has applied for four channels, of which two (Maison H and Nature TV) are new: MCM (music, free), Maison H (lifestyle, pay), Match TV (people, pay), Nature TV (pay). M6-Suez: Terrestrial commercial broadcaster has applied for a selection of its existing cable/satellite channels, in addition to the simulcast of its terrestrial channel. It has specified M6Music as its 'bonus' channel. M6 (simulcast, free), Club Teleachat (shopping, free), M6 Music (free), Fun TV (youth, pay), Paris Premiere (pay), Teva (feminine, pay). Pathe: Media group: TMC (free), Commedie (pay), Cuisine TV (pay), Voyage (pay). TF1: Leading French commercial terrestrial broadcaster whose president has been a strongly outspoken critic of the DTT project, has nevertheless applied for a number of channels: TF1 (simulcast channel), Shopping Avenue (free), Eurosport France (pay), LCI (news, pay), Odyssee (documentaries, pay), TV Breizh (Bretton, pay). TPS: Satellite platform, has filed for a number of its existing channels: Cinefaz (classic movies, pay), Cinetoile (movies, pay), TPS Star (movies and sport, pay), Teletoon (children's, pay). Applications from consortia Canal+, Liberty Media, Lagardere: Cinecinemas (movie channel, currently on Canal Satellite and cable; pay); Planete (documentary channel, currently on Canal Satellite and cable, pay). TF1 and M6: TF6, entertainment for the 15-35 age group, currently on TPS and cable, pay. MTV, Game One, Cine Info: TOA, new channel. Applications from independent suppliers: Equidia, horse racing channel already on cable and satellite. The proposal includes placing bets via the decoder. KTO: Catholic channel, already free to air on satellite. Tele Generation: new channel. Tele Senior: based on existing Tele Melodie and Tele Films channels. TFJ: Jewish community channel, already on TPS and cable. TVST: channel for the hearing impaired. All programmes are subtitled (teletext subtitling in France is half-hearted to say the least, and suppressed on the satellite versions) along with magazine programmes. Already present on Canal Satellite. Pay. Zalea TV: freedom of information militant TV. Viewers will be required to pay a moderate contribution to its running costs. Applications from groups new to TV Bollore: Direct 8, free general entertainment channel, specialising in live broadcasts. Jean-Luc Azoulay: production company, DO TV, children's channel. NRJ: radio station, My NRJ, free music channel for 11- 35 age group; NRJ-TV, semi-general entertainment, semi music. Other applications Alliance TV At Sky: a selection of web content for downloading onto PC hard discs and viewing off line. Already offers a similar service free via satellite. Cinaps e-Vision Everyday TV Ici TV Infoturf TV Privilege TV Sun TV Guide TV an electronic programme guide.
Technical Specifications: Both QPSK and 16QAM were used. Forward error correction (FEC): 1/2 rate Guard Interval: 1/4 (equivalent to 56 microseconds in a 2k FFT system) Single Frequency Network transmission on Channel 55 (centre frequency 746 MHz); MPEG-2 multiple programme transport stream containing two live services: Service 1: ITN video news (requiring no audio content). Service 2: SIX TV - the Oxford Channel (video and audio content). Transport Stream total bit rate: 5 Mbps (QPSK), 10 Mbps (16QAM).
-Source: advanced-television.com