According to M6 leader, Nicolas de Tavernost, the report points “to significant competition problems” in advertising. The channels will be interviewed on September 5 and 6 by the College of the Competition Authority, which will render its final decision in October.
Le Monde with AFP
A first report was rendered by the examination services of the Competition Authority and it is “not favorable” to the merger between TF1 and M6, which must create a French television giant, announced Tuesday, July 26, the leader of M6, Nicolas de Tavernost, on the sidelines of the publication of his group’s results.
The channels intend to “maintain the project as it was presented”, however, and respond to the institution within three weeks, said the Chairman of the Management Board of M6, proposed as the future CEO of the new set.
The report points in particular “significant competition problems” in television advertising, spoke of Mr. de Tavernost, and the “remedies” envisaged “would not allow to build a coherent industrial project” and would lead the channels to give up their project.
final decision expected in October 2>
The parties concerned will be interviewed by the College of the Competition Authority on September 5 and 6, the Bouygues groups, first shareholder of TF1, and RTL, said in press releases, which owns M6. The final decision expected in October will return to this college, which is not required to follow the opinion of the investigation services.
A grouping of TF1 and M6 would give birth to a French giant on the audiovisual rights market, the distribution of channels and television advertising, with around 75 % of the French turnover in the latter sector. Announced in May 2021, this project was supposed to be finalized in early 2023, after also receiving the Arcom agreement (ex-CSA), scheduled for November.
The two groups have already started to put themselves in order to allow their merger. They notably announced the sale of TFX and 6ter channels to the Altice group and the release of the TNT frequency of Paris Première to comply with the regulations on the concentration of the media. TF1 has disengaged from a number of activities related to marketing and online press.