TV Live Forum

I don't understand what's the problem about Sky Cinema showing adverts.. it's in-between the films, not inside of them

Louis Laforge not having a slot seems rather odd, unless there are some personal reasons behind it - quite why they'd want to lose him, given he was clearly first choice to front the election coverage… At least they've still got Marianne, though I don't hold out much hope for much of the 2h30 (or the afternoon) actually being live.

No details yet on any 5-year anniversary special?

Kunst post_id=35964 time= user_id=1292 Wrote:I don't understand what's the problem about Sky Cinema showing adverts.. it's in-between the films, not inside of them

You're more likely to tune elsewhere or use VOD instead of staying with the channel. The French film channels can and will segue between one film to another, ensuring unless you really hate the film, you stick with it. Those ad breaks on Sky Cinema, even though they use trailers to break them up are still long between movies.

william post_id=35968 time= user_id=1264 Wrote:No details yet on any 5-year anniversary special?

I believe they're doing something on Le 6h30-8h30 on Wednesday 1st September as a young super-fan is a guest.

London Lite post_id=35962 time= user_id=953 Wrote:

Medianext.MX post_id=35958 time= user_id=1455 Wrote:

Roger Darthwell post_id=35953 time= user_id=1160 Wrote:Sorry for the late reply, well I can bet that the people running the CSA would be in for a shock if they see how much simulcast British TV has.....sorry for going off topic. Going back on topic, remember how back in March this year there were reports saying that France Télévisions was going to make the channels of La 1ère available in Metropolitan France on the various IPTV boxes? There have been no no new updates on that, so I presume that this plan has fell through

The thing is that French regulation is way more stricter than Ofcom regulation. Not only for TV simulcasts, which can be done in exceptional circumstances, like breaking news or Presidential allocutions, but also for commercial breaks: pubs for tobacco, hard alcohol products, prescription medication, arms and juridical assistance plans are completely banned on TV, whilst advertising books, magazines and papers is banned on free TV to protect local papers. Cinema channels on pay-TV can only show trailers between films (interrumpting them is outlawed). Ads for commercial goods must not prioritise special offers, and commercial broadcasters must air up to six minutes of adverts by hour, and limit the commercial time to 144 minutes per day (that's up to 24 commercial breaks). France Télévisions and Canal+ can only air 4 minutes of ads per hour, and the former must offer programmes commercial-free between 20h and 6h in all channels. Special interest services, like LCP and Public Sénat, are banned altogether of offering commercial breaks.

Even OTT services are strictly regulated by the CSA. They must apply for licenses to operate and allocate budget for the financing of local and European productions.

And some would say those regulations are better. I've watched the French premium film channels (Cine+, OCS and Canal+ branded) and you'll see trailers and filler programmes, but never commercial breaks. It makes them an easier watch than the linear versions of Sky Cinema which pad between films with long breaks and trailers.

France Télévisions also don't show commercials in prime time after 21h, presumably to protect TF1, M6 and other smaller commercial operators on TNT, so you'll get a sudden rush of ads as they attempt to squeeze them in before they can't show commercials. If a viewer only watches France 2, 3, 4, 5 after 9pm and then turns the tv off by 11pm, they'd never see a commercial, just as BBC viewers never see ads and uninterrupted peak time output.

Speaking of commercial breaks... TF1, M6 and other commercial operators can interrupt a programme when the programme enters within the category of films, TV movies and series, magazines, and game shows. If the programme is longer than an hour, there can be a second commercial break. Each ad break must adhere to the aforementioned rules. Additionally, the popular jingle pubs are a requirement within the law, as well as any kind of interpub slide to separate ads (often a plain coloured screen, mostly black, used by TF1 and M6 channels, but France Télévisions uses a white slide since the late 90's, and other channels use a graphic with their logo and/or graphics, either static or animated, with TV5Monde using a blue slide, a style which was standardised up until the late 90's, when most channels began to use variations after most channels began to move playout facilities out of the historic 13-15 rue Cognacq-Jay studios, where playout was centralised, an heritage of the former ORTF).

London Lite post_id=35970 time= user_id=953 Wrote:

Kunst post_id=35964 time= user_id=1292 Wrote:I don't understand what's the problem about Sky Cinema showing adverts.. it's in-between the films, not inside of them

You're more likely to tune elsewhere or use VOD instead of staying with the channel. The French film channels can and will segue between one film to another, ensuring unless you really hate the film, you stick with it. Those ad breaks on Sky Cinema, even though they use trailers to break them up are still long between movies.

The opposite with the TNT channels, however. Often between programmes, TF1, France Télévisions and M6 have shorter commercial breaks and promo blocks to pad time before the next programme begins. That is not the case, however, in peak time slots in most channels.

I don't like how French TV is structured in general

These long ad breaks, too many restrictions on what should have internal ad breaks and which not (which is probably part of the reason so many talk shows exist in the first place, since these have laxer laws for ad breaks)

I agree on them on public channels, but the rest should have laxer laws; too many French programming quotas too.

I've no problem with Sky Cinema channels exploiting the minutage between films, especially in this era of VOD anyway.

Too long ad breaks too on French TV, since the minutage is still the same
Less frequent , but still quite long

Medianext.MX post_id=35997 time= user_id=1455 Wrote:

London Lite post_id=35970 time= user_id=953 Wrote:

Kunst post_id=35964 time= user_id=1292 Wrote:I don't understand what's the problem about Sky Cinema showing adverts.. it's in-between the films, not inside of them

You're more likely to tune elsewhere or use VOD instead of staying with the channel. The French film channels can and will segue between one film to another, ensuring unless you really hate the film, you stick with it. Those ad breaks on Sky Cinema, even though they use trailers to break them up are still long between movies.

The opposite with the TNT channels, however. Often between programmes, TF1, France Télévisions and M6 have shorter commercial breaks and promo blocks to pad time before the next programme begins. That is not the case, however, in peak time slots in most channels.

This is why I watch French TNT channels on a slight time delay, so that I can fast forward through the LONG commercials! You don't have to do it if I'm watching France 2, 3 or 5 during the evening prime-time slot.

BTW TNT channels normally have an average of 9 mins of adverts per hour, with a maximum of 12 minutes.
Similar to UK TV

Other channels (like on paying TV) Is 12 minutes average.

Only public channels (France TV and Arte) have the 6 minute average, with a maximum of 8, except at night when they can't have them at all, which is OK for me.

I'm just criticizing the further limits on which content should have internal ad breaks and so on.. and they still have the 20 minutes rule for ad breaks!

Kunst post_id=36001 time= user_id=1292 Wrote:BTW TNT channels normally have an average of 9 mins of adverts per hour, with a maximum of 12 minutes.
Similar to UK TV

Although that's a strange legislation, because you just have to show no adverts between 1am and 7am or something like that (which is not a great time slot for them anyway!) and have the full 12 minutes in other time slots.

Moreover, TNT channels can't be all generalized. Definitely something like M6 should have tighter limits than, I don't know, W9 or TMC

Kunst post_id=35999 time= user_id=1292 Wrote:too many French programming quotas too.

The French programming quotas ensure there's a healthy industry in France, same for the French quotas on radio which ensures French language music competes on a more equal level with English language music.

Kunst post_id=36002 time= user_id=1292 Wrote:

Kunst post_id=36001 time= user_id=1292 Wrote:BTW TNT channels normally have an average of 9 mins of adverts per hour, with a maximum of 12 minutes.
Similar to UK TV

Although that's a strange legislation, because you just have to show no adverts between 1am and 7am or something like that (which is not a great time slot for them anyway!) and have the full 12 minutes in other time slots.

Moreover, TNT channels can't be all generalized. Definitely something like M6 should have tighter limits than, I don't know, W9 or TMC

I doubt the likes of NRJ and Altice would agree with you as although those multichannels have a lower share, it'd be perceived as giving a helping hand to the large media groups by the back door.

Medianext.MX post_id=35913 time= user_id=1455 Wrote:

Roger Darthwell post_id=35912 time= user_id=1160 Wrote:I am still unable to understand why Le 6h Info is not on France Info, the simulcast rules in France is something I don't understand, I mean even the Le Journal de 20h is not simulcast on France Info, and the same with TF1, it's Le 20h is not even simulcast on LCI, all of this seems baffling to me

The same feeling, however, the CSA is very strict on discouraging simulcasts since D8 began to simulcast former i-Télé's La Matinale. It might have been relaxed due to the pandemic, but it is back to normal now.

Even during the pandemic it wasn't truly a simulcast if I recall correctly. For instance, le 20h was broadcast an hour later at 21h on franceinfo:, same thing with le 13h at 14h. Only LCI and TF1 truly simulcasted.

London Lite post_id=35971 time= user_id=953 Wrote:forge not having a slot seems rather odd, unless there are some personal reasons behind it - quite why they'd want to lose him, given he was clearly first choice to front the election coverage… At least they've still got Marianne, though

Was it the kid who got a shout-out by Laurent Guimier on Twitter recently?

william post_id=35968 time= user_id=1264 Wrote:Louis Laforge not having a slot seems rather odd, unless there are some personal reasons behind it - quite why they'd want to lose him, given he was clearly first choice to front the election coverage… At least they've still got Marianne, though I don't hold out much hope for much of the 2h30 (or the afternoon) actually being live.

No details yet on any 5-year anniversary special?

Looks like he'll be back soon after a full recovery.
https://twitter.com/evedx/status/1430219108117798915

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And in exciting news, some footage of LCI's new studio!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYVfBA-f_ns

matthieu1221 post_id=36022 time= user_id=1634 Wrote:And in exciting news, some footage of LCI's new studio!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYVfBA-f_ns

Not a bad upgrade for LCI. I thought the previous set, with its heavy use of wood, looked a bit garish. It has a similar look to TF1's main news studio, so, I think they're increasing the synergies with the entire news department over at the main channel without the need to simulcast a lot. I hope they upgrade Studio B soon, because not only has the style of the former set, but also is still an SD-only set, as a result, picture quality is a lot worse than when they use Studio A!