CanalSat wins reversal of channel listings ruling

France’s administrative court of last resort, the Conseil d’Etat, has annulled the recent decision by media regulator the CSA to force pay-TV service CanalSat to rearrange its channel number plan, giving music service NRJ12 and information channel BFM TV the same numbers they have on the country’s digital-terrestrial grid.

The two channels had appealed to the CSA to take action on the basis that the CanalSat number plan was discriminatory. However, the Conseil d’Etat has ruled that the CSA’s decision would have a disproportionate effect on CanalSat, which would have to rearrange its service line-up by the end of this month. It also said that doubts remained about the legality of the CSA’s ruling.