French television is about to undergo a major change. On the night of June 5-6, 2025, a general blackout will allow the implementation of the new DTT channel numbering. This operation, orchestrated by Arcom, marks a technical shift with multiple challenges, designed to clarify the offering and integrate new players into the audiovisual landscape.
A general blackout
On the night of Thursday, June 5 to Friday, June 6, 2025, French television will take an unprecedented break. Arcom, the Audiovisual and Digital Communication Regulatory Authority, will completely reorganize the channel numbering on DTT. In concrete terms, all channels will cease broadcasting during this switchover. Viewers will then see a black screen or a waiting message, before the broadcast resumes with the new order.
This interruption, scheduled for around 1 a.m., should not exceed a few minutes, promises Arcom, even though audiovisual groups have been warned that the procedure could last up to an hour. The authority wants to be reassuring: this type of operation has already been carried out during previous technical modifications, without major incident.
Why this change?
This major overhaul is part of a desire to modernize and clarify the DTT offering. Several major developments are worth noting, such as the arrival of new channels, such as T18 and NOVO19 (Ouest-France TV), which are part of the existing schedule. The grouping of the main continuous news channels (BFMTV, CNews, LCI, Franceinfo) on channels 13 to 16 should facilitate access to continuous news. At the same time, the allocation of new channels to France 4, LCP-Public Sénat and Gulli is a direct consequence of the non-renewal of the frequencies of C8 and NRJ12, and the cessation of Canal+ broadcasting on TNT.
Here is the new numbering that will come into effect from June 6, 2025:
- 1 TF1
- 2 France 2
- 3 France 3
- 4 France 4
- 5 France 5
- 6 M6
- 7 Arte
- 8 LCP-Public Sénat
- 9 W9
- 10 TMC
- 11 TFX
- 12 Gulli
- 13 BFMTV
- 14 CNews
- 15 LCI
- 16 Franceinfo
- 17 CStar
- 18 CMI TV (T18)
- 19 Ouest-France TV (NOVO19), from September 1, 2025
- 20 TF1 Séries Films
- 21 L’Équipe
- 22 6ter
- 23 RMC Story
- 24 RMC Découverte
- 25 Chérie 25
Do I need to do anything to receive the channels?
Most TVs and decoders will update automatically overnight or offer an update when they are switched on on June 6. However, in rare cases, some viewers will have to manually initiate a channel search and memorization (also called a "rescan"). A call center has been set up by Arcom to assist users who encounter difficulties (0970818818).
This numbering change, although technical, marks an important step in the evolution of free television in France. It aims to make the offer more readable, to integrate new players, and to respond to the growing competition from streaming platforms and new digital uses. For viewers, the instruction is simple: do not worry if the screen goes black during the night of June 5 to 6.
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