Paris, 28 July 2004
Autorité de régulation des télécommunications (ART) publishes today a questionnaire relative to the analysis of the broadcasting transmission services market, which is the 18th market identified by the European Commission. It is defined as the wholesale market of "broadcasting services to deliver broadcast content to end users". Therefore, content is not covered by the scope of this market, which concerns only networks.
The European Commission considers that all types of networks used to broadcast radio and television programmes, i.e. satellite, cable, ADSL, analogue and digital terrestrial networks, belong to this market. However, national regulators are entitled to break it into several markets. It is therefore ART’s responsibility to identify any relevant markets which should be defined in analysing this market.
The questionnaire first deals with context elements, in particular the value chain of audiovisual broadcasting. The substitutability issue is then being addressed in the prospect of market delimitation. The document eventually focuses on terrestrial, wire and satellite broadcasting platforms.
Responses will give the ART the elements needed to draft the public consultation for this market analysis.
A wide range of players, concerned by the retail and wholesale audiovisual broadcasting services markets, are expected to answer the questionnaire: broadcasters, digital TV multiplex operators, satellite capacity resellers, distributors, end users, professional and consumer associations etc.
All submissions must be received by the ART by September 15, 2004.
