|
CSA's key 2008 dates
15 January
Four calls for tenders (appels à candidatures) for digital local television channels are issued in Caen, Poitiers, Reims-Mézières and Perpignan.
19 January
A call for tenders for a high definition pay channel is issued.
22 January
The Conseil welcomes broadcasting industry professionals in Paris at the musée du quai Branly for New Year greetings.
31 January
Meeting in Paris, at the Conseil’s invitation, of the chairs of several regulatory bodies members of the Réseau francophone des régulateurs des médias (REFRAM) (French speaking network of media regulators).
5 February
The Conseil initiates a réflexion concertée (roundtable with the various stakeholders) on the right to information relating to sports, so as to assess the current applicable legal provisions and their appropriateness to the prevailing conditions in broadcasting.
• 36 applicants are deemed admissible upon completion of a call for tenders for mobile television channels issued on 6 November 2007.
19 February
New calls for tenders for the creation of local DTT channels are issued in the areas of Bayonne, Dijon, Lille and Meaux.
• Mr. Jean-Claude Carrière is appointed to the Board of Directors of France Télévisions. Mr. Marc Ferro’s term on the Board of Directors of Institut national de l’audiovisuel (INA) is renewed.
11 March
The Observatoire de la diversité audiovisuelle (observatory of diversity in broadcasting) is established to follow, steer and validate the work carried out in this field by the Conseil and by associated researchers. Its membership is made up of 11 personalities.
• Applicants to the 273 FM frequencies included in the call for tenders issued on 24 July 2007 in région Midi-Pyrénées are selected. 88 frequencies are new ones identified by means of the FM 2006 plan.
11 and 12 March
The Conseil issues its assessment of the campaign for the cantonales and municipal elections of 9 and 16 March. Even though violations of applicable provisions took place, the CSA notes the overall respect of the principle of equity defined in its recommendation.
15 March
The Conseil publishes its contribution to the discussion on the transposition of the Audiovisual Media Services Directive (AVMSD) forwarded to the prime minister.
18 March
New series of calls for tenders for digital local television stations are issued in Bar-le-Duc, Épinal-Vittel, Privas, Toulon and Hyères.
20 March
Launch at the CSA of the seven new DTT channels created in the Paris region, present Ms. Christine Albanel, minister for culture and communication, and Mr. Dominique Baudis, former chair of CSA: IDF1, NRJ Paris and Cap 24 use a channel on a full-time basis; Demain IDF, BDM TV, Cinaps TV and Télé Bocal are broadcast on a shared channel.
26 March
The first call for tenders for digital radio stations is issued. It relates to nineteen large urban areas, namely 30% of the French population.
• Applicants to the 171 FM frequencies included in the call for tenders issued on 24 July 2007 in the geographical jurisdiction of the comité technique radiophonique (CTR) (radio technical committee) of Poitiers are selected. 54‑frequencies are new ones identified by means of the FM 2006 plan.
 1 April
Openingof a public consultation regarding the roll-out of mobile television interactive services.
4 April
The Conseil expresses no opposition to the broadcasting of centres E. Leclerc’s (retailer) television advertising campaign relating to the sell of medication not paid for by the French sécurité sociale. In particular, the Conseil deems the broadcasting of the campaign to not be in violation of the décret of 27 March 1992. In addition, the Conseil deems the message to not contain any element likely to impair the image of the pharmaceutical industry or of the pharmaceutical profession.
10-16 April
Public hearings of the applicants deemed admissible following the call for tenders for mobile television channels. The hearings are broadcast live on the Conseil’s website.
15 April
The Conseil adopts the summary of the contributions to the public consultation launched on 11 December 2007 regarding the switch-over from analog to digital television broadcasting. In the guidelines forwarded to the prime minister, the Conseil recommends complete digital switch-over in two régions as early as 2009.
6 May
Europe 1 is sent a formal notice for wrongly announcing the death of Pascal Sevran on the air.
• Broadcasting licenses are awarded to TF1 HD and M6 HD.
15 and 16 May
27th meeting in Riga of the European Platform of Regulatory Authorities (EPRA) on the issues of media literacy and the determination of the State having jurisdiction over non-EU channels.
27 May
13 mobile television private channels are selected. 3‑channels being set aside for the public sector (France 2, France 3 and Arte), 16 channels in total will broadcast on mobile television.
• The Conseil adopts the text of its response to the public consultation opened by the Commission du dividende numérique (digital dividend commission) and the Comité stratégique pour le numérique (strategic committee for digital broadcasting) on the reallocation of frequencies released by analog off-air terrestrial television switch-off.
3 June
Applicants to the 199 FM frequencies included in the call for tenders issued on 13 November 2007 in the geographical jurisdiction of the CTR of Lille are selected. 79 frequencies are new ones identified by means of the FM 2006 plan. 11 applicants are also selected following a partial call for tenders issued in the régions of Auvergne and Limousin.
10 June
Following a call for tenders for a high definition pay channel, Canal+ is selected.
• The Conseil publishes a 60+-page document containing its observations and proposals in relation to France Télévisions’ channels’ editorial lines.
• As part of the réflexion concertée initiated in February on the right to sports information, the Conseil opens a public consultation.
17 June
Adoption by the Conseil of a deliberation relating to the on air display of tobacco, alchoholic beverages and illicit drugs.
24 June
The report drafted by Mr. Alain Méar on the development of DTT in outre-mer (overseas départements and territories) is adopted. The report is submitted on 3 July to Mr. Yves Jégo, secrétaire d’État (junior minister) in charge of outre-mer, and Mr. Éric Besson, secrétaire d’État (junior minister) in charge of digital economy development, and on 4 July to Ms. Christine Albanel, minister for culture and communication.
• Local channels are selected in Belfort-Montbéliard (TV 185), Brest (Canal Ouest), Limoges (TV Limoges 87), Lorient and Vannes (Demain Sud Bretagne), Montluçon (Clermont 1ère) and Saint-Étienne (TL7 Horizon numérique).
30 June
39 new areas receive DTT.
• Mr. Alain de Pouzilhac is elected by the Conseil as chairman of the board of directors of Radio France internationale.
8 July
As part of a dispute settlement, the Conseil enjoins Métropole Télévision to send AB Sat, within six weeks, a proposal for the distribution of television channel M6 in the Bis Télévision package.
10 July
A hearing of the chair and representatives of France Télévisions is organized by the Conseil for the review of the group’s channels’ activity. The Conseil finds that, to a very large extent, the channels have fulfilled the obligations provided for in the cahiers des missions et des charges (terms of reference) and the contrat d’objectifs et de moyens (agreement relating to objectives and means) entered into with the French State, and the commitments made by Mr.‑Patrick de Carolis before the Conseil in 2005 at the time of his application.
 16 and 22 July
Local channels are selected in Strasbourg and Mulhouse (A. Télé), Caen (Cap Caen), Perpignan (Télévision Pyrénées-Orientales) and Reims-Mézières (Cap Champagne-Ardenne).
22 July
Adoption of a deliberation to protect children under the age of 3 from the harmful effects of television and, in particular, of services presented as specifically designed for them.
• A first batch of 71 new areas to receive DTT in 2009 is scheduled.
• Applicants to the 279 FM frequencies included in the call for tenders issued on 11 December 2007 in the geographical jurisdiction of the CTR of Caen are selected. 139 frequencies are new ones identified by means of the FM 2006 plan.
• Skyrock is handed down a € 200,000 fine for broadcasting programs likely to shock those under 16 before 10:30 p.m.
1 August
4 new DTT transmitters start broadcasting. Since March 2008, 50 new areas receive DTT.
1 September
Interactive maps of DTT coverage are available on the Conseil website using Google Earth. Viewers are able to see each multiplex’s coverage with unprecedented precision.
4 September
TF1 is sent a formal notice following the erroneous announcement of the death of a child who had disappeared during the summer in the Drôme département.
2 October
The Observatoire de l’équipement des foyers pour la réception de la télévision numérique (observatory of household DTT equipment), established under the aegis of the CSA, publishes the findings of its first studies: in the first half of 2008, 57.8% of mainland France households received television in digital mode.
2 and 3 October
10th meeting in Reggio Calabria (Italy) of the Mediterranean Network of Regulatory Authorities. The Network adopts a joint declaration on the regulation of audiovisual contents.
7 October
The Conseil issues its opinion on the draft legislation to modernize the audiovisual communication public sector and relating to new audiovisual services.
21 October
Local television projects are selected in Lille (Grand’Place and Grand Lille TV), Meaux (TV 77), Dijon (Dijon Première) and Bayonne (TVPI).
22 October
Ms. Muriel Mayette, director general of the Comédie-Française is appointed to the board of directors of Radio France.
30 and 31 October
28th EPRA meeting in Dublin. One of the working topics is the transposition of the Audiovisual Media Services directive.
7 November
The Conseil enters into legal agreements with the five channels of Orange Cinéma Séries. There being no agreement between Orange and professional cinema organizations, the Conseil exercises its powers under the décret of 28 December 2001.
12 November
The Conseil makes the main findings of its study on the representation of diversity in television programs public. To remedy the under-representation of certain categories of population, the Conseil decides to create a diversity “barometer” and to organize working sessions with the channels to obtain specific commitments on their part.
• Local television projects are selected in Nice-Menton (Cap Nice-Menton), Toulon-Hyères (Cap Toulon-Hyères),
Bar-le-Duc (Territorial TV), Épinal-Vittel (Images Plus).
20 November
The new campaign relating to the youth-suitability rating signs is launched on the occasion of the Universal Children’s Day. Two 45-second films show a young girl alone in several daily-life situations and, in particular, in front of the television.
24-29 November
Meeting in Dakar of the REFRAM. The Network adopts an action plan for the coming years and decides the creation of a website.
25 November
Adoption of an opinion on the draft scheme for the switch-off of analog broadcasting and the switch-over to digital broadcasting. In it, the Conseil suggests a schedule for the digital switch-over of the various French régions as it had done in the guidelines forwarded to the prime minister in April following the adoption of the summary of contributions to the public consultation openend on 11 December 2007.
2 December
377 of the files submitted as part of the call for tenders for digital radio issued on 26 March are deemed admissible.
• A local television project is selected in Poitiers (Villages TV).
• The Conseil welcomes the heads of the channels selected for mobile television in order to take stock of the negociations with distributors.
10 December
Broadcasting start on national channels of the campaign for the protection of minors on the Internet organized by the secrétariat d’État for families in association with the Conseil.
• The CSA signs the audio description charter, an initiative by Mr. Patrick Gohet, inter-ministerial delegate in charge of persons with disabilities, for the purpose of enabling blind and visually impaired persons to follow television programs.
19 December
The last DTT transmitters scheduled to start broadcasting in 2008 are turned on: in 2008,132 new areas have started receiving DTT bringing the coverage rate to 87% of the population of mainland France.
28 December
The Conseil publishes in the Journal officiel the list of DTT sites to start broadcasting at the latest on 30 November 2011, it being the date on which analog television is scheduled to be switched off. Pursuant to the provisions in the law relating the modernization of the economy, the list is published before the end of 2008. On the Conseil’s website, the list includes all of the sites that have started broadcasting since the launch of DTT.
|
