Arcom's Historic Decision Enhances Visibility for French Audiovisual Media
In a groundbreaking move for the audiovisual industry, Arcom, the French audiovisual regulator, has ruled that viewers will soon have easier access to historical channels on connected screens. This decision, made public on Thursday, has been hailed as a "historic decision" by major players in the sector, including France Télévisions, TF1, M6, and RMC-BFMTV, positioning France as a leader in Europe regarding the visibility of national audiovisual media.
The rise of connected TVs, which are now present in nearly 90% of homes equipped with televisions, has raised concerns about the visibility of French media compared to international streaming services. These foreign players often dominate the home pages of interfaces managed by various entities, including internet providers and tech giants like Google and Amazon.
European Directive Supports Visibility of General Interest Media
The foundation for this decision lies in a 2018 European directive that allows member states to implement measures ensuring the visibility of media deemed to be of general interest. In alignment with this directive, Arcom adopted two key deliberations concerning these services, explicitly excluding radio and local channels for future consideration. The first deliberation emphasizes that the operations required to access these services should not be more numerous or restrictive than those for any other audiovisual service. Furthermore, these general interest services must be presented in the same prominent locations as the best-exposed services on connected screens.
Reporting and Future Developments
To ensure compliance, those responsible for these interfaces will be required to report annually on the measures taken to enhance visibility. The second deliberation outlines the specific services recognized as general interest, including public service media like France Télévisions and all free private channels available on national DTT.
In a bid to streamline access, Arcom had previously recommended the creation of a common application for all channel editors, allowing viewers to access their offerings with just a few clicks. However, this initiative has yet to materialize, leaving room for further development in the future.
