The takeover offer from the group of regional television channels Via Occitanie presented by “La Dépêche du Midi” was validated on Monday by the Nîmes commercial court. The regional press group was in competition with Altice-BFM.
On Monday April 12, the Nîmes commercial court validated the Via Group takeover offer made by the La Dépêche du Midi Group. The regional press group was in competition with BFM / Altice, which has been engaged for several months in a plan to develop and acquire regional television channels throughout France.
Altice had been in discussion with Via Group for about two years, until BFM’s parent company suddenly disengaged, leaving the field open to the La Dépêche du Midi Group, which had also positioned itself. At the end of March, a few hours before the opening of the hearing at the Nîmes commercial court scheduled for Tuesday, March 30, Altice returned to the game, leading the Dépêche du Midi Group to readjust its takeover offer.
Resumption of frequencies from Toulouse, Montpellier and Perpignan
It was again on the night of Sunday to Monday, April 12 that Altice tried everything for the whole by outbidding again, in defiance of the legal deadlines which frame this type of file. Logically, the Nîmes commercial court rejected this last-minute offer and validated the one presented by the La Dépêche du Midi Group, which takes over the frequencies of Toulouse, Montpellier and Perpignan for 1 million euros, and undertakes to safeguard the employment of 45 employees.
A new call for tenders must be launched by the CSA regarding the future of the Nîmes frequency.
“A logical decision”
“A logical decision” Managing Director of the La Dépêche du Midi group, Jean-Nicolas Baylet, who was in charge of this strategic development operation, was delighted with the decision rendered by the Nîmes commercial court. “It is first of all a decision in accordance with the law. It is then a logical decision, because it was the preference of the Via Occitanie staff, and because for several years, our two groups have been used to working together. We are regional media, we know the attachment of our audiences to local information which constitutes our DNA. La Dépêche is finally a family and independent group, and in the current context of media reconciliation, the decision of the tribunal de Nîmes trade is good news for the plurality of information, “said Jean-Nicolas Baylet.
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