TF1 could close LCI, says Paolini

French commercial broadcaster TF1 could close down news channel LCI unless it obtains approval to turn it into a free-to-air service, according to CEO Nonce Paolini. 

LCI, which faces competition from free services BFMTV, owned by NextRadioTV and i>Télé, owned by Canal+, is heavily loss-making for TF1, which has been trying to migrate the service to free-to-air for the last three years.

An amendment to the country’s media law that will shortly go before the Senate would see the media regulator, the CSA, given the power to authorise a move by a channel from pay to free-to-air.