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France - Regulation and Spectrum - History

22.01.2021

DAB+ was added to the French standards in August 2013

  • Band III
  • Commercial services for 6 cities (Paris, Nice, Marseille, Lille, Lyon, Strasbourg) in Band III
  • Further cities tenders will use the learning of Paris, Nice, Lille and Marseille broadcast 
  • No analogue switch-off date has been determined as of yet

Analogue and digital licences are both issued free of charge. There is a quota for French music and new artists and the current analogue rules which govern advertising and sponsorship will also apply to digital radio.

On 19 December 2018, the French regulator CSA announced that following the launches of DAB+ in Strasbourg and Lyon, 21.3% of the population of France was now covered by DAB+, therefore triggering the French receiver law requiring all new radio receivers to be equipped with DAB+ capabilities.

 

 

 

In November 2020, the parliament voted the law enabling the government to take a decree to transpose the EECC into French legislation. That decree, expected by early 2021, will confirm that new passenger cars in France will be required to include digital terrestrial capabilities from 20 December 2020, in line with the EECC. Additional obligations regarding consumer receivers have yet to be agreed but may also be included in the decree.

 

13.11.2020

DAB+ was added to the French standards in August 2013

  • Band III
  • Commercial services for 6 cities (Paris, Nice, Marseille, Lille, Lyon, Strasbourg) in Band III
  • Further cities tenders will use the learning of Paris, Nice, Lille and Marseille broadcast 
  • No analogue switch-off date has been determined as of yet

Analogue and digital licences are both issued free of charge. There is a quota for French music and new artists and the current analogue rules which govern advertising and sponsorship will also apply to digital radio.

On 19 December 2018, the French regulator CSA announced that following the launches of DAB+ in Strasbourg and Lyon, 21.3% of the population of France was now covered by DAB+, therefore triggering the French receiver law requiring all new radio receivers to be equipped with DAB+ capabilities.

 

 

 

In November 2020, the parliament voted the law enabling the government to take a decree to transpose the EECC into French legislation. That decree, expected by early 2021, will confirm that new passenger cars in France will be required to include digital terrestrial capabilities from 20 December 2020, in line with the EECC. Additional obligations regarding consumer receivers have yet to be agreed but may also be included in the decree.

Spectrum allocation

In March 2019, the CSA released the list of radio stations that have been granted a national DAB+ licence alongside the six Radio France national radio stations. These are the following:

·      Air Zen (SARL Air Zen Radio)
·      BFM Business (SAS Business FM) - NextRadio
·      BFM Radio (SAS Newco G) – NextRadio (NEW)
·      Chérie (SAS Chérie FM) - NRJ
·      Europe 1 (SAM Lagardère Active Broadcast)
·      Fun Radio (SA SERC) - RTL
·      Latina (SAS Latina France)
·      M Radio (SARL M Radio DAB)
·      Nostalgie (SAS Radio Nostalgie) - NRJ
·      NRJ (SAS NRJ) - NRJ
·      Radio Classique (SAS Radio Classique)
·      RFM (SAS RFM Entreprises) – Lagardère (Europe 1)
·      Rire et Chansons (SAS Rire et Chansons) - NRJ
·      RMC (SAM Radio Monte-Carlo) - NextRadio
·      RTL (SAS RTL France Radio) 
·      RTL 2 (SA SODERA)
·      Skyrock (SA Vortex)
·      Virgin Radio (SAS Europe 2 Entreprises) - Lagardère

 

16.12.2019

DAB+ was added to the French standards in August 2013

  • Band III
  • Commercial services for 6 cities (Paris, Nice, Marseille, Lille, Lyon, Strasbourg) in Band III
  • Further cities tenders will use the learning of Paris, Nice, Lille and Marseille broadcast 
  • No analogue switch-off date has been determined as of yet

Analogue and digital licences are both issued free of charge. There is a quota for French music and new artists and the current analogue rules which govern advertising and sponsorship will also apply to digital radio.

On 19 December 2018, the French regulator CSA announced that following the launches of DAB+ in Strasbourg and Lyon, 21.3% of the population of France was now covered by DAB+, therefore triggering the French receiver law requiring all new radio receivers to be equipped with DAB+ capabilities.

 

 

 

As of 19.12.2018, new receivers able to display multimedia content are to integrate DAB+ capabilities within three months [end of March], while all radio receivers have 12 months to include digital capabilities [end of December], aside from in-car receivers which have 18 months to comply with the law [end of June]

In December 2019, a proposal to amend the existing receiver legislation was submitted to the French government. According to the new proposed regulation available here:

  • All new car radios sold starting from 21st Dec 2020 should include digital radio capabilities
  • All new consumer receivers capable of displaying letters and numbers should include digital radio capabilities, starting from 21st Dec 2020
  • In France’s overseas territories that have yet to launch DAB+, the regulation will come into effect six months after the launch of regular DAB+ services The bill, which has been presented for debate by the government before parliament, can be amended by the parliament or the senate until it is adopted in early 2020.

Spectrum allocation

In March 2019, the CSA released the list of radio stations that have been granted a national DAB+ licence alongside the six Radio France national radio stations. These are the following:

·      Air Zen (SARL Air Zen Radio)
·      BFM Business (SAS Business FM) - NextRadio
·      BFM Radio (SAS Newco G) – NextRadio (NEW)
·      Chérie (SAS Chérie FM) - NRJ
·      Europe 1 (SAM Lagardère Active Broadcast)
·      Fun Radio (SA SERC) - RTL
·      Latina (SAS Latina France)
·      M Radio (SARL M Radio DAB)
·      Nostalgie (SAS Radio Nostalgie) - NRJ
·      NRJ (SAS NRJ) - NRJ
·      Radio Classique (SAS Radio Classique)
·      RFM (SAS RFM Entreprises) – Lagardère (Europe 1)
·      Rire et Chansons (SAS Rire et Chansons) - NRJ
·      RMC (SAM Radio Monte-Carlo) - NextRadio
·      RTL (SAS RTL France Radio) 
·      RTL 2 (SA SODERA)
·      Skyrock (SA Vortex)
·      Virgin Radio (SAS Europe 2 Entreprises) - Lagardère