France

[FR] The Audiovisual Supervisory Board and Canal Plus Sign a Convention Bringing the Encrypted Channel within the 'general rules'

IRIS 1995-7:1/25

Ad van Loon

European Audiovisual Observatory

LIENHARD - PETITOT, Attorneys at Law) convention with Canal Plus containing 34 articles and an appendix that will open the way to the renewal of the encrypted channel's licence. This licence, awarded by the Government in 1983, will be running out on 5 December 1995. The convention will come into effect as of 6 December and will run for 5 years. Canal Plus will therefore be brought under the same general rules as the other authorised Hertzian channels. Canal Plus can schedule 365 films per year to be broadcast between midday and midnight, each film being shown 6 times, including once in its original language if the film is foreign. The film may be shown a seventh time if it has sub-titles specifically intended for deaf people and the hard-of-hearing. Rules on the protection of minors have been toughened up, although the convention expressly leaves pornographic films to one side; Canal Plus will only be broadcasting one pornographic film per month, which can be shown three times. The Olympic Games, the Tour de France cycle race and the final of the French Cup (football) can no longer exclusively be shown encrypted. World and European Nations Cup football matches and Five Nations rugby matches cannot be exclusively shown encrypted " if a French team is playing ".