Canal Plus pulls advertising following channel dispute

France’s  Canal Plus has reportedly withdrawn advertising from thematic channels and radio services owned by NRJ and NextRadioTV as the unresolved dispute between the pay-TV broadcaster and channels NRJ12 and NextRadioTV-owned BFM TV rumbles on.

In 2009, Canal Plus reportedly spent some €3m on advertising its programmes with NRJ, and €700,000 with NextRadioTV. However, according to press reports, the pay-TV giant has not placed advertising on the two channels for the last two months.

Canal Plus is in dispute with the pair over the channel numbers it allocates to NRJ12 and BFM TV on its pay-TV service. Following a ruling against Canal Plus on the matter by the CSA in December, the pay-TV operator appealed, and the dispute is currently before France’s Conseil d’Etat. Canal Plus is also in dispute with BFM TV over its decision to set its own information service, i>Tele, as the default on its set-top boxes.