The free operation of Canal + and some of its thematic channels will stop at the end of the month, as planned at the start and not because of an intervention by the Superior Audiovisual Council (CSA), which on the contrary endorsed the initiative, a spokesperson for the encrypted channel told AFP. This operation was put in place to help the French cope with the confinement imposed by the coronavirus epidemic.
Media have reported that the CSA had asked Canal + to stop on March 31 this operation launched as part of the confinement of the French because of coronavirus, after having received requests to that effect from competitors like TF1 and M6.
"The decision of the CSA is wise"
"We did receive a letter from the CSA, which regretted not having been warned (of this temporary transition to free admission, editor's note) but which authorized us to continue the operation until the scheduled date" of March 31, explained a spokeswoman for the Canal + group, ensuring that the group was satisfied with the regulator's position.
"We find that the decision of the CSA is wise, given the current situation," added one at Canal +. The date of March 31 was announced by several of the chain's leaders when the operation was set up on Tuesday.
We must remain united and united in the face of the # COVID19 crisis. This is why, as announced by @maxsaada, @canalplus will be exceptionally clear for box subscribers for the next two weeks # SolidariteCOVID19pic.twitter.com / xc1gWSu1PV
- Gérald-Brice Viret (@gbviret) March 17, 2020"We must remain united and united in the face of the Covid-19 crisis. This is why, as Maxime Saada (the CEO of the pay TV group, editor's note) announced, Canal + is exceptionally clear for subscribers boxes for the next two weeks ", that is, until March 31, Gérald-Brice Viret, director of antennas and programs for Canal +, wrote on Twitter on Tuesday.
"The operation can only be limited in duration"
For its part, the CSA confirmed to AFP the sending of a letter to the chain, in which its president Roch-Olivier Maistre noted the desire of Canal + to temporarily switch to free service but simply called it to do not extend the operation beyond the planned duration.
"The operation that Canal + launched can only be limited in duration because it is likely to alter the balance between pay and free channels" and "to challenge the chronology of the media, and it poses questions vis-à-vis other broadcasters and assigns ", justified the president of the regulator, in an interview with La Correspondance de la Presse