The High Council for Communication (CSC) of Burkina Faso has heavily sanctioned the French satellite television giant, Canal+ International. The operator has been ordered to pay a fine of 50 million CFA francs for failing to meet its commitments regarding the accessibility of national public channels.

The heart of the dispute: conditional free access

The regulator criticizes Canal+ for not guaranteeing totally free and unconditional access ("uncensored") to the channels of the Burkina Faso Radio and Television Broadcasting (RTB) for local subscribers.

According to an agreement signed on February 14, 2025, these channels must remain accessible even after the subscription expires , and this must happen automatically. However, the CSC (French Consumer Protection Association) has observed that Canal+ still requires users to send an SMS to activate this free access.

Chronology of events and omissions

1. February 14, 2025: Signing of the agreement between the CSC and Canal+ International.
2. April 2025: Sending of a formal notice by the CSC after the granting of unsuccessful technical extensions.
3. June 11, 2026: Expiration of the last ultimatum set by the regulator.
4. June 12, 2026: The president of the CSC, Wendingoudi Louis Modeste Ouédraogo, signs the sanction decision following a self-referral of the case.

"This constitutes a violation of the terms of the convention and demonstrates a lack of will on a major conventional commitment," the CSC lamented.

A double countdown has begun

The regulatory body attached two strict deadlines to its sanction, starting from the date of notification of the decision:

1. Within 30 days: Canal+ International must pay the fine of 50 million FCFA to the institutional Treasury of the CSC.
2. Within 30 days: The operator must remove all technical obstacles to offer direct access to RTB channels, without any action required from the user (definitive removal of the SMS requirement).

And then what? The CSC was very firm: if Canal+ does not comply with these injunctions within the given month, the company will be subject to "higher-level sanctions" .