CanalSat rejects CSA ruling in favour of thematic channels

French pay-TV operator CanalSat has reacted angrily to media regulator the CSA’s ruling that it must give a better position in its grid to thematic channels NRJ 12 and NextRadioTV-owned BFM TV.

The CSA has said that NRJ 12 must be given channel number 12, while BFM TV must be allocated channel number 15 – the same numbers they are allocated on digital-terrestrial TV. The regulator said that CanalSat’s current channel plan, which allocates channel numbers one to seven to the country’s established national channels but diverges from the DTT channel numbers thereafter, is discriminatory. The CSA has give the operator two months to present a new channel plan, and four months to implement it.

CanalSat said the CSA had exceeded its authority by ruling on the matter and said it would examine all possible ways to have it reversed. It said that the ruling  favoured the new free-to-air channels to the detirment of cable, satellite and IPTV channels.

The CSA rejected another demand by BFM TV that it be placed immediately after fellow information channels LCI and i>Tele in the information section of CanalSat’s offer.

BFM TV is also in dispute with the pay-TV operator over its use of the default settings on its set-top to promote its own information channel, i>Tele.