France

[FR] Re-allocation of Radio Frequencies

IRIS 1998-1:1/29

Bertrand Delcros

Radio France

There are over 1500 private radios in France using terrestrial frequencies, in compliance with the law. However, it has needed some 17 years to bring calm to the wavelengths. Back in the early 80's, the so-called "free" radios hijacked the FM waveband and successive regulatory bodies experienced great difficulty in bringing them to book, in other words making sure that a frequency could only be used with the authorisation of what is now the Audiovisual Supervisory Board ( Conseil Supérieur de l'Audiovisuel - CSA) . The CSA has recently found itself up against the problem of private radios (often national networks), secretly buying radio frequencies from local radios. This illegal situation could not continue and, after long negotiations, the CSA persuaded the radios to give back the illegally-acquired frequencies, 472 in all. The frequencies were then redistributed by the CSA to the most suitable applicants.

The procedure as described above does not, however, involve Radio France, the state-run radio which, with its seven national and thirty-eight local radios, benefits from a special status with regard to the allocation of radio frequencies.