TF1 and Daniel Kretinsky seek to build DTT presence in France

Source: Alamy.com

Twenty-five applications including two from Daniel Kretinsky’s CMI France and applications for two additional channels from TF1 have been submitted for digital-terrestrial frequencies in France following the call from regulator ARCOM on the renewal of the 15 available slots.

Kretinsky, the Czech billionaire investor whose CMI France vehicle’s interests include news magazine L’Express and newspaper Ouest-France and who is financing national newspaper Libération, has applied for a frequency for celebrity news channel RéelsTV.

TF1, which currently holds three slots for TF1, TMC and TFX, has applied for two extra places for channels Humour TV and La Chaîne Histoire.

The commercial broadcaster said the history channel is intended as a free supplement to pay TV offering TF1 Histoire TV, intended to make content on history accessible to a greater number of people, while Humour TV would contribute to the diversification of programming on DTT, according to TF1.

Three other new candidates have also make applications. These are Christian organisation Je Suis, which has applied for a channel called BATV, Ombre Première for OP TV and Media Santé Info TV for Mieux.

Canal+ has applied to renew its six frequencies, including those for controversial channels C8 and CNews, while TF1 has applied to renew its three existing services in addition to the two new ones.

M6 has applied to renew its current three frequencies, while Altice Media, currently being sold to Franco-Lebanese shipping magnate Rodolphe Saadé, has applied for BFMTV.