France - Current situation - History
31.08.2011
Over the years, France has experimented with all formats in the Eureka 147 family, DAB, DAB+ and DMB, comparing the benefits all parts of the standard offer.
At the end of 2007, France's regulator, the Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel (CSA) announced that the official standard for digital radio in France would be DMB-A, to be marketed as Radio Numérique Terrestre (RNT). (It is worth noting that DMB-A differs from the DMB in use in Korea because the audio codecs are different.)
In March 2008, the CSA published a call for tenders for terrestrial digital radio licences. It received an enthusiastic response with approximately 300 plus applications and in 2009 the licences were allocated in three main towns: Paris, Marseille-Aix and Nice-Cannes. Following this in January 2009 a law was passed setting out a three step programme of integration of digital radio into all receivers including those in cars. It stated that on the 1st September 2013 all radio receivers must be digital enabled, including those in cars.
Roll out of France’s proposed digital terrestrial radio system, which was scheduled to start in December 2009, was postponed. The move comes amid opposition from several sources - including private radio operators arguing that the cost would be prohibitive and the expected financial returns insufficient. For that reason, the CSA asked the French government to express a strong commitment to digitalization of radio in the country.
To answer this request from the CSA, the Prime Minister requested a further report to be written on the status of digital radio and the views of the different players within the industry. This report was written by David Kessler, former chief executive of Radio France.
Mr Kessler submitted a 22-page interim report on the planned launch of digital terrestrial radio in France to the government on 23 October 2010. This is the third such report on the topic that the government has commissioned in the last year the others coming from Mr Marc Tessier and Mr Hamlin. Mr Kessler’s interim report summarized the existing position of the main players in France (public radio, commercial radio networks, local stations, etc.), but it also outlined some wider market issues.
The final Kessler report was published in mid 2011 it suggests that the conditions have not been met for the full scale deployment of digital radio in France and suggested a moriturium on launching. During this moriturium, 2-3 years, the French market will look at the deployment of digital radio in the rest of Europe. Also, CSA and the whole radio industry will look at possible business models and all digital radio technologies. In the report it also states that the Government approves of the CSA's decision to allow further trials to continue.
The CSA is now responsible for taking the findings of the Kessler report forward and in order to do this has set up a 'Observatory' which includes all of the industry players.
The publication of the Kessler report means the market can now move forward after a period of stagnation and to this end various trial are either on-air (RNT Lyon) or planned a positive step towards digital radio.
The full English version of the Kessler report is available to WorldDMB members.
08.03.2011
Over the years, France has experimented with all formats in the Eureka 147 family of standards, DAB, DAB+ and DMB, comparing one to the other. In Paris, Marseille and other major towns, some of these trial multiplexes remain on air.
At the end of 2007, France's regulator, the Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel (CSA) announced that the official standard for digital radio in France would be DMB-A, to be marketed as Radio Numérique Terrestre. (It is worth noting that DMB-A differs from the DMB in use in Korea because the audio codecs are different.)
Some broadcasters in France advocate the use of DAB+ alongside DMB, but it is clear that, in general, French broadasters support the swift deployment of digital radio across the country.
In March 2008, the CSA published a call for tenders for terrestrial digital radio licences. It received an enthusiastic response with approximately 300 plus applications and in 2009 the licences were allocated in three main towns: Paris, Marseille-Aix and Nice-Cannes.
In January 2009 a law was passed which sets out a three step programme of integration of digital radio into all receivers including those in cars. It states that on the 1st September 2013 all radio receivers must be digital enabled, including those in cars.
Roll out of France’s proposed digital terrestrial radio system, which was scheduled to start in December 2009, has been postponed. The move comes amid opposition from several sources - including private radio operators arguing that the cost would be prohibitive and the expected financial returns insufficient. For that reason, the CSA asked the French government to express a strong commitment to digitalization of radio in the country.
To answer this request from the Radio Authority, the Prime Minister entrusted a mission to David Kessler, former chief executive of Radio France, about the future of terrestrial digital radio in France.
David Kessler submitted a 22-page interim report on the planned launch of digital terrestrial radio in France to the government on 23 October 2010. This is the third such report on the topic that the government has commissioned in the last year. Most of Kessler’s report summarized the existing positions of the main players in France (public radio, commercial radio networks, local stations, etc.), but it also outlined some wider market issues.
The French market is currently waiting for the final report from Mr David Kessler. It is understood that this report was sent to the French Telecommunications Minister in the first week of March and a response is now pending.
19.08.2010
The launch of DMB digital radio services in France is expected in December 2010.
Over the years, France has experimented with all formats in the Eureka 147 family of standards, DAB, DAB+ and DMB, comparing one to the other. In Paris, Marseille and other major towns, some of these trial multiplexes remain on air.
At the end of 2007, France's regulator, the Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel (CSA) announced that the official standard for digital radio in France would be DMB-A, to be marketed as Radio Numérique Terrestre. (It is worth noting that DMB-A differs from the DMB in use in Korea because the audio codecs are different.)
Some broadcasters in France advocate the use of DAB+ alongside DMB, but it is clear that, in general, French broadasters support the swift deployment of digital radio across the country.
In March 2008, the CSA published a call for tenders for terrestrial digital radio licences. It received an enthusiastic response with approximately 300 plus applications and in 2009 the licences were allocated in three main towns: Paris, Marseille-Aix and Nice-Cannes.
In January 2009 a law was passed which sets out a three step programme of integration of digital radio into all receivers including those in cars. It states that on the 1st September 2013 all radio receivers must be digital enabled, including those in cars.