Free-to-air LCI would send “bad signal” on future of pay TV

Allowing TF1-owned information channel LCI to go free-to-air would send “a very bad signal” about the future of pay TV on France’s digital-terrestrial platform, according to Frédéric Mitterrand, the country’s minister of culture and communication.

In an interview on TF1, Mitterrand denied that he was delivering a judgement on the case ahead of media regulator the CSA’s decision on the commercial broadcaster’s application to be allowed to deliver LCI on a free-to-air basis. However, he said that the pay TV platform was an essential part of the overall TV economy.

TF1 has requested the CSA to allow the migration of LCI to free-to-air following a decision by pay TV operator Canal Plus not to renew an exclusive carriage contract with the channel.