TDF

TDF is a company which proposes services of diffusion audio-visual contents, services for the operators télécoms, and which also develops in the field of the Multi-media one: digitalization of contents, encoding, filings, diffusion on all supports, intelligent transport, diffusion on Internet etc

TDF is the legal name of the company since 2004; previously, the name was Télédiffusion of France (but the Acronyme TDF was also used).

Since 2006, TDF is initiating and shareholder of HDRR, holder of license WiMAX and which can be based on the high points of TDF.

TDF is the first audio-visual diffusion group in Europe.

Its principal customers are thus:

the Television S (analogical and numerical diffusion, but also activities going “of turning to the controls”);
radio S (analogical and numerical diffusion, treatment of the sound…) ;
the operators télécoms (services of reception on site, maintenance, measurements…).

History

In 1975, the bursting of ORTF (Office of French Broadcasting-Television) constitutes a major turning in the history of the French radiotelevision. Seven organizations are born then:

4 national companies of programs (Radio France, TF1, A2 and FR3).
SFP, in charge of the production;
Two public corporations related to commercial industrial and (the INA and TDF ).

Formed starting from the regrouping of the control of diffusion and the direction of the technical action of the old Office, the organism in charge of the diffusion takes the name of TéléDiffusion of France usually called TDF . With its birth, TDF is equipped with a network of 38000 km microwave links long and with an important housing stock.

In June 1987, TDF changes statute and becomes a SA. This rupture succeeds the adoption of a commercial step towards 1983 - 1984, but is due to the law (Law Léotard) on audio-visual promulgated the September 30th 1986.

In 1991, the group France Telecom holds 100% of the capital of TDF , then in 2002 FT yields TDF to a consortium in which it preserves a participation. The Actionnariat of TDF is then composed of CDC Equity Capital and Charterhouse, of the Deposit and consignment office and France Telecom.

In November 2004, France Telecom yields the integrality of its residual participation in TDF to the other shareholders. The same year, the legal name of the company becomes TDF (without particular significance).

In 2005, TDF loses its monopoly of diffuser of the public service. Following an invitation to tender launched by Radio France for part of its frequencies FM, and under the impulse of the supervision of the State, which wanted to prove that competition exists this market of course, an important proportion of them are allotted to Towercast, (NRJ Group, the French main competitor of TDF .

Benefitting from the sale by Apax Partners of a block of control, TDF repurchases in 2006 the company Antalis-TV , third company of diffusion in France (after TDF and Towercast ) of the TNT, which had been created by Xavier Gouyou Beauchamps, ex-owner of France Televisions, ex-owner of TDF , General ex-Director of France3 , ex-minister under Valery Giscard d'Estaing and Honorary Préfet of the Ardèche.

In September 2006, a article published in a British newspaper announces the setting on sale TDF . A few days later, TDF announces an important recombining of its capital, with the arrival of the funds of American investment Texas Pacific Group in the shareholding with 42% of the capital.

In 2007 TDF repurchases Antenna Hungaria (historical operator of Hungarian remote transmission) and 24 audio-visual towers of the Dutch operator KPN (exploited by a named subsidiary company Alticom).

TDF exploits, among its many sites of diffusion (7800 in Europe), the principal high points of France (Eiffel Tower, Pic of the South, Aiguille of the South, Puy de Dôme, etc). Among the other sites of importance, let us note Allouis, which accommodates the transmitters and pylons of France Inter in long waves (1 852 meters long waves, pylon of 350 m, higher than the Eiffel tower) and Issoudun for the diffusion of Radio France Internationale in decametric waves.

At the end of an invitation to tender launched by the Town hall of Paris, for the renewal of the use of the top of the Eiffel Tower, TDF was seen renewing its contract of occupation, with the detriment of Towercast which coveted this strategic position of the Paris region.

Towercast (subsidiary of NRJ Group) launched then a legal battle and, not having been able to obtain the suspension of the signature of the contract between TDF and the Town hall of Paris, introduced the April 12th 2007, a procedure at the bottom requiring of the administrative court of Paris the cancellation of signed convention.

The court did not rule yet to date.

With the autumn 2007, TDF repurchases Antenna Hungaria (the " tdf" Hungarian), old subsidiary company of Swisscom and T-Systems Media & Broadcast, subsidiary of the German giant of Télécoms, Deustche Telekom. These two acquisitions reinforce TDF in its position leader in Western Europe.

Shareholders

Shareholding of company TDF at the 10/19/2006:

Capital Charterhouse Partners : 14%

Deposit and consignment office : 24%

Texas Pacific Group : 42%

AXA Private Equity : 18%

Management and paid : 2%

External bond

Official site of TDF

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