France - Current situation - History
13.11.2020
In 2014, DAB+ was officially launched for the first time in France, in the cities of Paris, Marseille and Nice. In June 2018, Lille became the fourth metropolitan area in France to have launched regular DAB+ services, and was subsequently followed by launches of DAB+ in Lyon and Strasbourg in December 2018.
On 19 December 2018, the French regulator CSA announced that following the launches of DAB+ in Strasbourg and Lyon, 21.3% of the population of France was now covered by DAB+, therefore triggering the French receiver law requiring all new radio receivers to be equipped with DAB+ capabilities.
DAB+ launched in Bordeaux and Toulouse in November 2020, bringing DAB+ coverage up to 30%.
Receiver legislation
In November 2020, the parliament voted the law enabling the government to take a decree to transpose the EECC into French legislation. That decree, expected by early 2021, will confirm that new passenger cars in France will be required to include digital terrestrial capabilities from 20 December 2020, in line with the EECC. Additional obligations regarding consumer receivers have yet to be agreed but may also be included in the decree.
National DAB+ licences
Originally scheduled to launch in 2020, national DAB+ services may instead be launched in 2021 due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In March 2019, the CSA released the list of radio stations that have been granted a national DAB+ licence alongside the six Radio France national radio stations.
In April 2020, CSA president Roch-Olivier Maistre highlighted that subsidising DAB+ launches for broadcasters, or providing financial assistance through a tax credit scheme - as requested by broadcasters - would be a good idea, given the significant drop in advertising revenues experienced by several broadcasters.
05.11.2020
In 2014, DAB+ was officially launched for the first time in France, in the cities of Paris, Marseille and Nice. In June 2018, Lille became the fourth metropolitan area in France to have launched regular DAB+ services, and was subsequently followed by launches of DAB+ in Lyon and Strasbourg in December 2018.
On 19 December 2018, the French regulator CSA announced that following the launches of DAB+ in Strasbourg and Lyon, 21.3% of the population of France was now covered by DAB+, therefore triggering the French receiver law requiring all new radio receivers to be equipped with DAB+ capabilities.
DAB+ launched in Bordeaux and Toulouse in November 2020, bringing DAB+ coverage up to 30%.
Receiver legislation
As of 19.12.2018, new receivers able to display multimedia content are required to integrate DAB+ capabilities within three months [end of March 2019], while all radio receivers have 12 months to include digital capabilities [end of December 2019], aside from in-car receivers which have 18 months to comply with the law [end of June 2020].
In December 2019, a proposal to amend the existing receiver legislation was submitted to the French government. According to the new proposed regulation:
- All new car radios sold starting from 21st Dec 2020 should include digital radio capabilities
- All new consumer receivers capable of displaying letters and numbers should include digital radio capabilities, starting from 21st Dec 2020
- In France’s overseas territories that have yet to launch DAB+, the regulation will come into effect six months after the launch of regular DAB+ services The bill, which has been presented for debate by the government before parliament, can be amended by the parliament or the senate until it is adopted in early 2020.
The bill that includes the EECC transposition, which had been presented for debate by the government before parliament, has now been put on hold due to the outbreak of Covid-19, and will need to be reviewed in order to include new learnings from the crisis.
National DAB+ licences
Originally scheduled to launch in 2020, national DAB+ services may instead be launched in 2021 due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In March 2019, the CSA released the list of radio stations that have been granted a national DAB+ licence alongside the six Radio France national radio stations.
In April 2020, CSA president Roch-Olivier Maistre highlighted that subsidising DAB+ launches for broadcasters, or providing financial assistance through a tax credit scheme - as requested by broadcasters - would be a good idea, given the significant drop in advertising revenues experienced by several broadcasters.
07.05.2020
In 2014, DAB+ was officially launched for the first time in France, in the cities of Paris, Marseille and Nice. In June 2018, Lille became the fourth metropolitan area in France to have launched regular DAB+ services, and was subsequently followed by launches of DAB+ in Lyon and Strasbourg in December 2018.
On 19 December 2018, the French regulator CSA announced that following the launches of DAB+ in Strasbourg and Lyon, 21.3% of the population of France was now covered by DAB+, therefore triggering the French receiver law requiring all new radio receivers to be equipped with DAB+ capabilities.
As of 19.12.2018, new receivers able to display multimedia content are required to integrate DAB+ capabilities within three months [end of March 2019], while all radio receivers have 12 months to include digital capabilities [end of December 2019], aside from in-car receivers which have 18 months to comply with the law [end of June 2020].
In December 2019, a proposal to amend the existing receiver legislation was submitted to the French government. According to the new proposed regulation:
- All new car radios sold starting from 21st Dec 2020 should include digital radio capabilities
- All new consumer receivers capable of displaying letters and numbers should include digital radio capabilities, starting from 21st Dec 2020
- In France’s overseas territories that have yet to launch DAB+, the regulation will come into effect six months after the launch of regular DAB+ services The bill, which has been presented for debate by the government before parliament, can be amended by the parliament or the senate until it is adopted in early 2020.
The bill that includes the EECC transposition, which had been presented for debate by the government before parliament, has now been put on hold due to the outbreak of Covid-19, and will need to be reviewed in order to include new learnings from the crisis.
National DAB+ licences
In March 2019, the CSA released the list of radio stations that have been granted a national DAB+ licence alongside the six Radio France national radio stations.
In May 2019, the CSA announced the allocations for France’s national DAB+ multiplexes, as follows:
Originally scheduled to launch in 2020, national DAB+ services may instead be launched in 2021 due to the outbreak of the Covid-19 pandemic.
In April 2020, CSA president Roch-Olivier Maistre highlighted that subsidising DAB+ launches for broadcasters, or providing financial assistance through a tax credit scheme - as requested by broadcasters - would be a good idea, given the significant drop in advertising revenues experienced by several broadcasters.