Even if the frequency of M6 and that of TF1, also subject to renewal, have not yet been formally reallocated, only their current holders remain in the running for the last part of the procedure, decided Arcom.
As soon as this announcement was made by Arcom, Xavier Niel reacted with a quirky message on Twitter.
He wrote "The frequency of M6" above the photo of a crying teenager saying "How the fuck can I get you back, NEVER can I get her back".
The authorizations to operate channels 1 and 6 of the DTT expire on May 5, and their reattribution for five years had been the subject of a call for applications.
This procedure is a first since 1987, the year of the privatization of TF1 and the arrival of M6 on the sixth hertzian network: until now, these pioneers had benefited from a renewal without a call for applications and in return for commitments to of the regulator.
Xavier Niel wanted to create a channel called "SIX" to replace M6, promising less advertising, more new programs and early evening shows starting before 9:00 p.m.
Arcom "will now initiate discussions with the selected candidates (TF1 and M6, editor's note) in order to conclude an agreement intended to define the obligations and commitments of each of the two services", she explained in a press release.
"This agreement must be adopted before the issuance of an authorization to use the (frequency) on DTT, which itself must take place before May 5, 2023", she added to specify the timetable.
© 2023 AFP