Introduction

2002 was a particularly full year, which required from members of the Board and from the Conseil’s services full attention on a number of crucial issues. Spring time was very busy election-wise with two successive elections, an unusually high number of candidates and political parties contending and an eventful second round for the presidential election; all this required from the CSA special continued diligence to monitor the balance of air-time devoted to the various political parties. In addition, significant progress was made in several fields, with the passing in 2002 in the wake of 2001 of a new decisive step in the implementation of terrestrial digital television, the launch of a new call for tenders on medium waves for radio broadcasting and in the area of youth protection, which has always been one of the Conseil’s main concerns.

2002 was first and foremost a major electoral year during which the CSA fulfilled one of its most important missions during election time, i.e., ensuring that fairness and impartiality prevail in the way radio and television media play their role in democracy. The Conseil’s mission in this area is two-pronged: ensuring equal access of the various candidates and political parties to radio stations and television channels by monitoring air and speaking time, and secondly organizing the official electoral campaign to be broadcast on public radios and televisions in identical conditions for all candidates.

In view of this double responsibility which makes it both a special player and monitor of electoral periods, the CSA issued again in 2002 several recommendations in order to solve some of the issues that were raised. The Conseil issued two reports: one relating to the presidential election and the other to the general election and in both the Conseil once again stressed the importance of amending some of the rules relating to electoral campaigns. The Conseil made recommendations on several points: the time table for the various stages in the election, closing time for voting locations in mainland France in relation to the date at which voting should take place in overseas départements and territories, and the organization of the radio and television official electoral campaign. It is now up to lawmakers to determine and make the amendments they shall deem necessary to the relevant laws and regulations.

Just like in 2001, terrestrial digital television was one of the Conseil’s main areas of activity. The tender reviewing process started as soon as 23 March 2002, the very next day after the deadline for submitting tenders, and resulted in sixty-six candidates declared admissible. The Conseil subsequently conducted a thorough analysis of each admissible candidate’s individual file and compared them between each other using the criteria set forth in the relevant Law. Public hearings were organized during which candidates were given the opportunity to give further details regarding their projects.

The completion of the file review process marked a decisive step in the implementation in France of terrestrial digital television with the selection in fall of 2002 of twenty-three national television services. The visage of France’s future television is now clearer. Pursuant to the Conseil’s commitment, a balance has been achieved between pay and free access television. There will be sixteen free services on terrestrial digital television, i.e., three times the current number of free channels in addition to fifteen pay services of which two will share the same channel. The process will enable the emergence of five new players in hertzian television in addition to the existing public televisions and three private national channels.

The CSA will continue in 2003 its work relating to spectrum allocation for terrestrial digital television and to the grant of licenses to broadcasters. As regards the licenses, the Conseil has sent to each selected candidate a draft agreement -to be negotiated- that will set forth the candidate’s obligations. The Conseil hopes to see such agreements executed during spring of 2003. The Conseil will also launch a call for tenders for local televisions once the décret relating thereto is published.

This new dimension in French television will undoubtedly boost creation and be conducive to a more diverse offer and a larger selection for viewers to choose from. In a democratic context, the regulator’s first and foremost mission is to defend the viewers’ interest. The Conseil’s choices and decisions regarding terrestrial digital television were guided by such principle. Terrestrial digital television is a great challenge which the Conseil’s is glad to take up and in which it wishes for all players to devote their full energy.

As regards radio broadcasting, important progress was made in order to remedy the FM band’s overload. Operators are now given the opportunity to broadcast in the medium-wave band in amplitude modulation. The many available frequencies in such bandwidth can help foster the development and renewal of the French