The businessman had already attempted to buy RTL’s participation in the M6 group twice, in 2021 and 2022.
MO12345LEMONDE with AFP
Xavier Niel once again manifests his interest in television. The businessman, owner of the telecoms group Iliad (Free) and individual shareholder in the world, has been a candidate for the resumption of a TNT frequency within the framework of the renewal of those of TF1 and M6, according to A press release of the Audiovisual and Digital Communication Regulatory Authority (Arcom ) Posted Monday January 23.
Three files were submitted for the resumption of these channels: those of TF1 and M6, historic holders of existing frequencies, and that of a company of M. Niel, whose project called “Six” shows that it aims at the current frequency of M6. The authorizations of the TF1 and M6 channels for their broadcast on TNT is expired on May 5. The hearings of the three candidates by the Arcom will take place on February 15 and will last an hour and a half each.
With this candidacy, submitted via his company NJJ Project 5523, Xavier Niel, eighth fortune of France according to the ranking of Forbes magazine, again marks his interest in television. He had already tried to buy RTL’s participation in the M6 group twice: in May 2021, then in October 2022 after the failure of the merger project between TF1 and M6.
Last fall, Mr. Niel had indeed made a tandem buyout offer with the Berlusconi family (Mediaforceurope group). The owner of M6, the German media giant Bertelsmann, had finally chosen to keep the group in his lap. Launched in December by Arcom, this call for applications for the renewal of these frequencies has been the first since 1987, the year of the privatization of TF1 and the arrival of M6 on the sixth hertzian network.