VZCZCXRO6571
RR RUEHIK RUEHYG
DE RUEHFR #0703/01 0541829
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 231829Z FEB 07
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 5130
INFO RUEHZG/NATO EU COLLECTIVE
RUEHMRE/AMCONSUL MARSEILLE 1559
RUEHSR/AMCONSUL STRASBOURG 0340

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 000703 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR EUR/PPD, EUR/WE, INR, R 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: OPRC PREL KPAO FR
SUBJECT: NEW SATELLITE TV CHANNELS: THIRD IN A SERIES ON FRENCH 
MEDIA 
 
 
PARIS 00000703  001.2 OF 002 
 
 
Sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect accordingly. 
 
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SUMMARY 
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¶1. (SBU) Embassy Paris is reviewing and recalibrating its media 
strategy for 2007, in order to maintain the appropriate level of 
focus of print media while building on our contacts with radio and 
TV media.  This analysis of satellite providers is the third in a 
series of cables analyzing the media environment.  End Summary. 
 
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TNT:  THE WAVE OF THE FUTURE 
---------------------------- 
 
¶2. (SBU) France has undertaken a major project entitled the 
"Television of the future," which aims to provide universal digital 
television coverage via the Digital Video Broadcast (TNT) system by 
sometime between March 2008 and November 2011.  The objective is to 
enable 100 percent of the French population to receive 18 digital 
quality channels free of charge.  A government-sponsored interest 
group will be in charge of assisting those viewers who would 
otherwise not be able to afford the service, including the 
possibility of no-cost satellite reception in areas without TNT 
service. 
 
¶3. (SBU) The French government is trying to ensure that the French 
have access to a wide variety of channels, public as well as 
private, and that France is on the cutting edge for digital 
television technology.  The TNT system has tripled the number of 
free channels available to most viewers (from 6 to 18, including 
such news channels as i-tele, BFM-TV, and Direct-8).  It offers six 
full public channels (as opposed to three on the analog TV) with 
more news, music, youth programs, movies, documentaries and 
made-for-TV films. 
 
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SATELLITES:  THE CURRENT STATE OF PLAY 
-------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (SBU) In January 2007, CanalSat and TPS (Television Par 
Satellite) formalized their merger, previously approved by the 
Ministry of Economy, Finance and Industry in August 2006.  The new 
company, called Canal plus France, is now the only TV satellite 
operator in France.  To preserve competition, however, the 
government required Canal plus France to respect a series of 
specific conditions for a number of years. 
 
¶5. (U) The Canal plus Group signed a long-term contract on January 
19 with Luxembourg-based SES ASTRA for the satellite transmission of 
Canal plus France's program selection for the French Market. 
 
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HOTBIRD/EUTELSAT 
---------------- 
 
¶6. (U) Eutelsat is the other leading satellite provider in France 
and is based in Paris.  Established in 1977 as an intergovernmental 
organization to give Europe a satellite telecommunications network, 
Eutelsat became a Limited Company in 2001 following the 
liberalization of the telecommunications sector.  Eutelsat made its 
first public stock offering in December 2005.  Eutelsat's 
shareholders include Abertis Telecom (Spain leading communication 
company) with 32 percent and Caisse des Depots with 25.5 percent, 
others 9.3 percent.  The Caisse des Depots is a French public and 
investment organization, whose CEO is appointed by Presidential 
decree by the Council of Ministers. 
 
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ARABSAT AND FRANCE 24 
--------------------- 
 
¶7. (SBU) State-owned France 24 (all-news channel) signed a 
cooperative agreement with Arabsat, an Inter-Governmental 
Organization founded by the Arab League in 1976, in November 2006 to 
distribute France 24 via Arabsat's satellites.  Arabsat's 
headquarters are in Riyadh, but the company maintains an office in 
Paris. 
 
------------------------------------------ 
COMMENT:  KEEPING THE GOVERNMENT'S HAND IN 
------------------------------------------ 
 
¶8. (SBU) Digital video broadcasts (TNT) and French government use of 
available satellite providers work to enhance basic programming 
availability throughout France, while allowing France to stay near 
 
PARIS 00000703  002.2 OF 002 
 
 
technology's cutting edge and maintaining a role for the government 
in distribution.  Our media outreach is expanding to embrace these 
newly enhanced TV programming opportunities. 
STAPLETON