(Reuters) - France's auction for six new free digital terrestrial television channels attracted 31 bids, French broadcasting regulator CSA said on Wednesday.

Pay TV channel Canal+ (CNLP.PA), part of Vivendi (VIV.PA), was notably absent from the auction, having acquired two digital terrestrial channels, Direct 8 and Direct Star, from industrial-to-media conglomerate Bollore (BOLL.PA) in the autumn.

Among other digital terrestrial operators, TF1 (TFFP.PA) applied for three channels - HD1, Stylia TV and Tendances 24 - as did M6 (MMTP.PA), which has submitted applications for TV shopping channel Boutique & Co, Hexa and 6Ter.

M6 said in a statement that it was ready to invest around 110 million euros ($141 million) in the next four years to support the launch of its three new channels.

($1 = 0.7826 euros)

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