Introduction
2002 was a particularly full year, which required from members
of the Board and from the Conseil’s services full attention
on a number of crucial issues. Spring time was very busy election-wise
with two successive elections, an unusually high number of candidates
and political parties contending and an eventful second round for
the presidential election; all this required from the CSA special
continued diligence to monitor the balance of air-time devoted to
the various political parties. In addition, significant progress
was made in several fields, with the passing in 2002 in the wake
of 2001 of a new decisive step in the implementation of terrestrial
digital television, the launch of a new call for tenders on medium
waves for radio broadcasting and in the area of youth protection,
which has always been one of the Conseil’s main concerns.
2002 was first and foremost a major electoral year during which
the CSA fulfilled one of its most important missions during election
time, i.e., ensuring that fairness and impartiality prevail in the
way radio and television media play their role in democracy. The
Conseil’s mission in this area is two-pronged: ensuring
equal access of the various candidates and political parties to
radio stations and television channels by monitoring air and speaking
time, and secondly organizing the official electoral campaign to
be broadcast on public radios and televisions in identical conditions
for all candidates.
In view of this double responsibility which makes it both a special
player and monitor of electoral periods, the CSA issued again in
2002 several recommendations in order to solve some of the issues
that were raised. The Conseil issued two reports: one relating
to the presidential election and the other to the general election
and in both the Conseil once again stressed the importance
of amending some of the rules relating to electoral campaigns. The
Conseil made recommendations on several points: the time
table for the various stages in the election, closing time for voting
locations in mainland France in relation to the date at which voting
should take place in overseas départements and territories,
and the organization of the radio and television official electoral
campaign. It is now up to lawmakers to determine and make the amendments
they shall deem necessary to the relevant laws and regulations.
Just like in 2001, terrestrial digital television was one of the
Conseil’s main areas of activity. The tender reviewing
process started as soon as 23 March 2002, the very next day after
the deadline for submitting tenders, and resulted in sixty-six candidates
declared admissible. The Conseil subsequently conducted a
thorough analysis of each admissible candidate’s individual
file and compared them between each other using the criteria set
forth in the relevant Law. Public hearings were organized during
which candidates were given the opportunity to give further details
regarding their projects.
The completion of the file review process marked a decisive step
in the implementation in France of terrestrial digital television
with the selection in fall of 2002 of twenty-three national television
services. The visage of France’s future television is now
clearer. Pursuant to the Conseil’s commitment, a balance
has been achieved between pay and free access television. There
will be sixteen free services on terrestrial digital television,
i.e., three times the current number of free channels in addition
to fifteen pay services of which two will share the same channel.
The process will enable the emergence of five new players in hertzian
television in addition to the existing public televisions and three
private national channels.
The CSA will continue in 2003 its work relating to spectrum allocation
for terrestrial digital television and to the grant of licenses
to broadcasters. As regards the licenses, the Conseil has
sent to each selected candidate a draft agreement -to be negotiated-
that will set forth the candidate’s obligations. The Conseil
hopes to see such agreements executed during spring of 2003. The
Conseil will also launch a call for tenders for local televisions
once the décret relating thereto is published.
This new dimension in French television will undoubtedly boost
creation and be conducive to a more diverse offer and a larger selection
for viewers to choose from. In a democratic context, the regulator’s
first and foremost mission is to defend the viewers’ interest.
The Conseil’s choices and decisions regarding terrestrial
digital television were guided by such principle. Terrestrial digital
television is a great challenge which the Conseil’s
is glad to take up and in which it wishes for all players to devote
their full energy.
As
regards radio broadcasting, important progress was made in order
to remedy the FM band’s overload. Operators are now given
the opportunity to broadcast in the medium-wave band in amplitude
modulation. The many available frequencies in such bandwidth can
help foster the development and renewal of the French |