NextRadioTV, the French media group that owns sports news website RMC Sport, sued the Comité National Olympique et Sportif Français, the French Olympic committee, after claiming the governing body did not follow the correct procedures in partnering with L’Equipe TV for a digital-terrestrial television licence application.
L’Equipe TV, the pay-television channel run by French sports newspaper L’Equipe, was chosen by the committee over RMC Sport to act as a partner in applying for one of six available licences, with a view to launching a new sports channel.
NextRadioTV claimed there were “irregularities, a lack of ethics and [a lack of] transparency” in the process to identify the committee’s partner.
The media group also questioned “the legality of the exclusive support granted by the CNOSF” to L’Equipe TV “to the detriment of another [company].” NextRadioTV said that such an approach was not the role of a publicly-funded organisation that had to act in the public’s best interest.
NextRadioTV owner Alain Weill told Les Echos newspaper in December that he felt the committee had “made the decision even before they had heard about the two projects.” He also alleged that the committee had put pressure on national sports associations to support the l’Equipe TV project, rather than RMC Sport.
RMC Sport remains in the bidding for one of the six licences. Media regulator the Conseil Supérieur de l’Audiovisuel will confirm the successful applicants this month.