The fusion of TF1 and M6 again on the table? In an interview with Financial Times Last week, the president of the Bertelsmann Group, owner of the M6 Group, spoke of his project to relaunch the operation with the other Mastodon of the French audiovisual. A project that failed almost three years ago due to the rules of competition. In the BFM business set on Tuesday night, the President of the Competition Authority has dismissed this possibility in the current situation:
In fact, M6 cannot be sold within five years after its frequency authorization, which takes the deadline to 2028.. If the legislative context changes, we will see if the economic and competitive context has changed, he explained to the one who was already in the position when the fusion had been rejected in 2022. At the moment, he would be against the law. “
“If necessary, we will do market tests”
With respect to the advertising market, which had been one of the main hooks of the competence authority in its decision, Benoït Cueuré reaches advertisers and companies to indicate whether the changes are rapid enough “to justify a change of analysis” by the body.
“We had measured very quantified and doing market tests and, if necessary, we will do it again, he added. I am surprised that these excellent information professionals put the letter before the oxen and talk about competitive analysis before answering the question” Does the law have to change? “On several occasions in recent years, the former strong man of M6 Nicolas de Tavernost had denounced the” “fossilize” the French audiovisual and begged his “concentration” against the “inequitable competition” of networks and platforms.
Source: BFM TV
