Changement de fréquences : les trois radios privées font servir une mise en demeure à MCML et l'Icta

Les trois radios privées de Maurice, Radio Plus, Radio One et Top FM, font cause commune. Par le biais de leur avoué, Me Pravind Nathoo, elles ont fait servir une mise en demeure à Multi Carrier Mauritius Ltd (MCML) ainsi qu’à l’Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA), ce mardi 30 avril. Le litige porte sur un changement de fréquences attribuées à ces trois radios sur la bande FM.

Les trois stations privées demandent ainsi à MCML et à l'Icta de s'abstenir de modifier les fréquences qui leur ont été allouées sur la bande FM depuis leur lancement sur les ondes il y a dix-sept ans, en attendant les conclusions d'une étude technique entre les ingénieurs des trois radios, MCML et l'Icta, étude relative à la réallocation de fréquences. Faute de quoi, Radio Plus, Radio One et Top FM comptent initier des actions légales à l’encontre de MCML et de l'Icta, incluant des réclamations en dommages. 

Les trois stations radiophoniques privées ont fait servir cette mise en demeure dans l'après-midi de ce mardi, soit quelques heures après que la juge Rita Teelock ait levé l'ordre intérimaire qu'elle avait émis la veille contre MCML et l'Icta leur interdisant d'aller de l'avant avec les nouveaux changements de fréquences prévus. L'ordre était valable jusqu'à 10 heures ce mardi.

Dans leur mise en demeure, les trois radios privées affirment que la décision de réallouer certaines fréquences de la bande hertzienne (fréquences de 87,5 à 108 MHz), qui prendra effet à partir de ce jeudi 2 mai, leur portera d'importants préjudices. Elles soutiennent qu'elles n'ont jamais donné leur accord pour un quelconque changement de fréquences car une telle décision aura un impact négatif sur leurs activités, d'autant plus que leurs auditeurs respectifs sont habitués aux fréquences actuelles.

Les trois radios expliquent que l'impact d'un tel changement de fréquences va entraîner : 

• Loss in audience during the migration process.
• Time for adaptation of audience to new frequency will be quite long.
• Negative impact on advertisers return with loss of audience during migration
• People listening to their respective radios in cars will be disturbed.

Selon leur mise en demeure, deux réunions avaient eu lieu entre les représentants de MCML et ceux des trois radios concernées pour discuter des «costs element relating to the operation of the five transmission sites in Mauritius for island-wide coverage». C'est lors de cette réunion que MCML a évoqué la question d'un possible changement des fréquences qui étaient allouées jusqu’ici aux trois radios. Celles-ci ont immédiatement refusé cette possibilité.

MCML et l'Icta ont alors suggéré que la question de réallocation de fréquences soit soumise à une 'further technical study' entre elles-mêmes et les ingénieurs des trois radios. Les trois radios privées précisent, dans la mise en demeure, qu'aucune étude n'a pas été menée jusqu’alors. Malgré tout, MCML a «unilatéralement» proposé de changer les fréquences des trois radios.

Radio Plus, Radio One et Top FM affirment que bien qu'elles s'opposent à tout changement de leurs fréquences, elles n'ont aucune objection à ce que MCML aille de l'avant comme agréée, avec l'installation de deux nouvelles stations de relais à Mott Threse et Le Morne. 

Les trois radios précisent qu'il n'y a eu aucune décision émanant du «board» de l'Icta ou toute autre décision ratifiée par le même «board» officialisant un changement de leurs fréquences avec effet à partir du jeudi 2 mai 2019.

Radio Plus, Radio One et Top FM précisent aussi que la décision prise par MCML quant à la réallocation des fréquences est «illegal, nul and void» et qu'elles avaient conjointement référé l'affaire à l'Icta par le biais d'une lettre en date du 18 avril 2019. Courrier dans lequel les trois radios avaient invité les autorités (MCML et l'Icta) à trouver une solution qui ne serait pas préjudiciable à leurs opérations.

Ci-dessous la mise en demeure des trois radios privées : 

Mauritius    ) At the suit, instance and request of Radio Plus Ltd, Viva Voce Ltée and
To                   )TOP FM Ltd (hereinafter referred to as the Above-named Parties), electing
Wit                  )its legal domicile in the office   of the Undersigned Attorney at Law, )situate at 10, Georges Guibert, Port- Louis.    
        

TAKE NOTICE FOR THAT:-
        
1.     Whereas the Above- named Parties are private domestic companies, incorporated and registered with the Registrar of Companies and are all holders of a Private Commercial Free to Air licensed radio broadcaster issued by the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) and each operates a radio station known as Radio Plus, Radio One and Top FM respectively, the year 2002.

2.     Whereas You, the Hereunder-named Party No. 1, is a private, wholly owned State company incorporated in Mauritius and no person can carry on the business and offer the service of terrestrial broadcasting in Mauritius, unless such a service is offered to the public pursuant to an access agreement with the Hereunder-named Party No. 1, in terms of Section 28 of the Independent Broadcasting Authority Act 2000 as subsequently amended.

3.     The Hereunder-named Party No. 2 which is a statutory body set up under the Information and Communication Technologies Authority Act 2001 to, inter alia, licence and regulate the information and communication services. Its functions are also, inter alia, to allocate frequencies and manage, review and where appropriate reorganize the frequency spectrum.

4.     The Above- named Parties aver that when they were licensed by the IBA, they were each allocated three frequencies in the FM band, by the Hereunder-named Party No. 2, for the operations of their licensed broadcasting services from designated sites and each specific frequency band was and is still aimed to cover a designated region in Mauritius.

5.     On the 15/10/2018 and 10/01/2019, two meetings were held at the offices of the Hereunder-named Party No. 1 with the Above- named Parties to discuss the costs element relating to the operation of the five transmission sites in Mauritius for island-wide coverage. However, the Hereunder-named Party No. 1 brought up the question of a possible change in the FM frequencies allocated to the Above- named Parties and the latter categorically objected to such a proposal. The Above- named Parties suggested that this matter should be subject to a further technical study between the Hereunder-named Party No. 1 and Applicants’ Engineers.

6.     The Above- named Parties aver that this study has not been undertaken and yet, the Hereunder-named Party No. 1 unilaterally proposed to proceed with the change to the Applicants’ respective frequencies on Signal Mountain as from 02/05/19.

7.     The Above- named Parties aver that while they are against any change for their respective frequencies they do not have any objection that Hereunder-named Party No. 1 proceeds as agreed with the installation of the two additional stations, viz Mott Therese and Le Morne respectively. 

8.     The Hereunder-named Party No. 1, by way of letter dated 11th April 2019, addressed to the Above- named Parties informed them that their respective FM frequencies at Signal Mountain Station would be changed with effect from 02/05/2019, following a decision of the Hereunder- named Party No.2 communicated to it.  A copy of the said Letter is annexed and marked Doc C.

9.     The Above- named Parties aver that there has never been any decision from the Board of the Hereunder- named Party No.2 or any decision ratified by the Board to the effect that the respective FM frequencies of the Above-named Parties at Signal Mountain Station would be changed with effect from 02/05/2019.

10.     The Above- named Parties aver that they had never agreed to any change in their respective FM frequencies either at the Signal Mountain site or any other one for that matter inasmuch as such changes would impact negatively on their business operations. Their respective listeners having been used to their original frequencies would be at a loss. The negative impact will inter-alia; 

•    Loss in audience during the migration process.
•    Time for adaptation of audience to new frequency will be quite long.
•    Negative impact on advertisers return with loss of audience during migration
•    People listening to their respective radios in cars will be disturbed.

11.     The Above- named Parties have formally and jointly objected to such a decision of the Hereunder-named Party No. 1 to implemented pending further technical discussions with all parties concerned the more so that they have been advised that the only entity which could decide and implement such frequency migration was the Co-Hereunder-named Party No. 1 No 1

12.     The Above-named Parties aver that the impugned decision of the Hereunder-named Party No.1 is illegal, null and void to all intents and purposes and they have already jointly referred the matter to the Hereunder-named Party No. 2 No 1 by way of letter dated 18th April 2019 for consultation to find a solution which will not be prejudicial to their business.  

13.      You are the Hereunder-named Parties are therefore most formally required, and called upon to forthwith restrain and stop from changing the air frequencies of the Above-named Parties pending the conclusion of a further technical study between the Engineers of Hereunder-named Parties and Above- named Parties.

14.     WARNING YOU, the Hereunder-named Parties that should you fail to comply with the requirements and exigencies of the present Notice “Mise en Demeure” and to pay the costs hereof amounting to Rs 15,000, the Above-named Parties shall take such legal steps as it may be advised, including a claim for damages against you, jointly and in solido.

Under all legal reservations
 
Dated at Port- Louis, this 30th day of April 2019

P.Nathoo, 
of 10 Georges Guibert Street,Port Louis
ATTORNEY FOR THE ABOVENAMED PARTY
To/
1.    Multi Carrier Mauritius Ltd, of Malherbes Street, Curepipe   
2.    The Information and Communication Technologies Authority (ICTA),
            of Celicourt, Celicourt AntelmeStreet, Port Louis