Following the announcement of Arcom's decision not to renew the frequency of C8 on TNT, the managers of the Canal+ group channel launched an appeal before the Council of State. Unfortunately, this was rejected due to timing issues.
Since 2015, C8 has accumulated more than 7 million euros in fines from Arcom, and its broadcast on TNT is scheduled to cease in March 2025.
Franck Appietto, general director of C8, launched a petition which collected more than 866,000 signatures to save the channel, but the Council of State ruled C8's appeal against Arcom inadmissible.
The channels concerned, including C8, will be able to file a new appeal after the final announcement of Arcom in December 2024, offering a glimmer of hope for their future on TNT.
Having been the subject of numerous sanctions in recent years. C8 has notably received more than 7 million euros in fines from Arcom since 2015. Faced with this situation, the audiovisual policeman has chosen to do not renew the authorization to broadcast the channel on TNT. Its disappearance is therefore scheduled for March 2025.
For his part, the general director of C8, Franck Appietto, launched a petition to try to save the channel. This has already collected more than 866,000 signatures at the time of writing these lines. “This is unheard of! This is the most supported petition in the history of the MesOpinions.com site, created in 2006!. I imagined we would be in the top 3, but certainly not at this level“, indicated the leader in the columns of Parisian.
C8: the Council of State has decided in favor of Arcom for the moment
“I suspected it would be a success because I see it everywhere in my life. C8 is a family. And you just need to see the list of signatories and the comments left by nearly 250,000 people to see it. They talk about endangering their channel.”also added Franck Appietto. At the same time, the Canal+ group filed an appeal before the Council of State to have Arcom's decision annulled.
However, the Council of State ultimately ruled in favor of the audiovisual policeman. Indeed, its members judged what the recourse of the C8 channel against the loss of its TNT frequency was “inadmissible“. Because he was filed before the finalization of the procedure by Arcom. The Council of State also rejected the appeals filed by NRJ12 and Le Média for the same reason.
The Canal+ group channel will be able to file a new appeal in a few weeks
The three channels will nevertheless be able to file a new appeal when the audiovisual policeman has announced its final list in December 2024. For the record, Arcom had unveiled a preselection of channels for the reallocation of 15 DTT frequencies in 2025 to month of July 2024. The Council of State estimated that this “shortlist“not worth”nor attribution for the candidates who appear there. Nor definitive rejection for others“. And therefore cannot be attacked.
“Only the final decisions of Arcom, which should take place in December, will definitively establish the candidates selected for TNT (digital terrestrial television, editor's note). And these can be contested before the Council of State, including emergency“finally concluded the highest administrative court.
