I'm retired from the Ministry of the Interior, deputy mayor of Mûre and president of the Serpaton television syndicate. Serpaton is a syndicate that owns seventeen parcels of land on which TDF infrastructures are located, and for which we receive rent. Since 2010, this syndicate has been responsible for DTT broadcasting in 51 communes.
It was a question of balancing the budgets of our local authorities, since in recent years we've seen the French government cut back on grants to local authorities. It was therefore necessary to find a new budgetary balance. We are looking to enhance the value of some of the land we manage. Thanks to the financial effort made by TDF when renegotiating the leases, it has been possible to reduce the contributions of the communes to our syndicate, and to make much-needed investments, particularly in the security of our TDF relays.
We were also very satisfied with TDF's technical services and the support we received in 2010. Since then, TDF has been very responsive, enabling us to establish a relationship of trust. When Mr Ferlay proposed that we renew the leases at our general meeting, which includes a representative from each commune, there was a 100% positive vote in favor of this renegotiation. This partnership is both technical and financial. In addition, the fact that the syndicate deals directly with the site operator brings real added value. This means that we can react quickly to any problems that may arise, and that our dealings are fluid and transparent throughout the life of the lease. The support provided is superb: they are remarkable people to deal with.