French Council of State Rejects C8 and NRJ12 Appeals, Arcom to Allocate Frequencies to New Channels

Dec 30, 2024, 04:02 PM

The French Council of State has rejected emergency appeals filed by television channels C8 and NRJ12, which contested the non-renewal of their digital terrestrial television (TNT) frequencies by the French audiovisual regulator, Arcom. The Council of State determined that the urgency required for an interim order was not met. However, it noted that a hearing on the merits of the case would be scheduled in the coming weeks. This decision follows Arcom's confirmation in mid-December of the exclusion of C8 and NRJ12 from the TNT lineup, effective at the end of February. The frequencies previously held by C8 and NRJ12 will be allocated to new channels launched by CMI France and Ouest-France, starting operations on March 1, 2025, and September 1, 2025, respectively. C8, owned by the Canal+ group, has been fined 7.6 million euros due to on-air misconduct by its star presenter Cyril Hanouna, who hosts the popular show 'Touche pas à mon poste' (TPMP). Despite a petition garnering nearly 1 million signatures to save C8, the channel holds a 3% audience share, making it the top TNT channel.