France

[FR] Visibility of audiovisual services on connected devices: ARCOM adopts two decisions on general interest services

IRIS 2024-10:1/4

Amélie Blocman

Légipresse

Today, the vast majority of television viewers watch audiovisual content on smart TVs and other connected devices. The interfaces on these devices are operated by a variety of companies, including Internet access providers and their boxes, smart TV manufacturers and app stores that aggregate numerous audiovisual services. Viewers are therefore finding it more and more difficult to access their favourite services and programmes quickly and easily.

In order to address the problems that this creates in terms of pluralism and cultural diversity, ARCOM has adopted two decisions on the visibility of services of general interest in line with the amended Audiovisual Media Services Directive, Article 20-7 of the Law of 30 September 1986 and its implementing decree of 7 December 2022, and an accompanying memorandum. The decisions meet three key objectives: to optimise exposure to the services and content of national audiovisual media groups that contribute to the vitality of democratic debate and creativity, to increase public use of such services by making them more accessible via different types of devices, and to make them easy for interface operators to use.

The decisions are set to apply to all interfaces that meet the thresholds laid down in the decree of 7 December 2022 and that enable users to access audiovisual services, including those based outside France. An amended list of user interfaces affected has also been adopted in order to take into account comments made by the European Commission in May.

ARCOM will shortly be asking all the service providers concerned to declare that their service of general interest meet the criteria laid down in the decision. After it has been checked, the list of services of general interest will be published on the ARCOM website and notified to service providers and interface operators. ARCOM plans to help all interface operators implement appropriate visibility measures and ensure that they are compliant.

In an environment characterised by rapidly changing consumer behaviour and fierce competition between video platforms, especially those based outside Europe, these decisions recognise the important role played by public and private digital terrestrial television (DTT) channels in protecting pluralism of information, diversity of opinion and cultural diversity in France. They demonstrate that France is leading the way in Europe in terms of promoting the visibility and, therefore, the future of national audiovisual media.