THE FRENCH
PERSPECTIVE
FRANCE 24 aims to
cover and analyse
world news with a
French outlook
In December, FRANCE 24 will
bring a French perspective
to the world at large when it
begins broadcasting free-to-air
to Europe, North Africa and the
Middle East via Eutelsat’s brand
new HOT BIRD™ 7A satellite.
Influential views and contrasting opinions
FRANCE 24 will begin transmitting two
channels, one in French and the other mainly
in English, with Arabic and Spanish to follow.
The channel has the clear intention of offering
an alternative view to that of other global
newscasters, such as CNN International and
BBC World.
“In today’s world, opinion makers are both
sceptical of and hungry for news. Before
taking a point of view, they look for several
contrasting opinions. FRANCE 24 must be
one among these many views, which is why
the channel must be readily available to
world and business leaders,” states Alain de
Pouzilhac, FRANCE 24’s Chief Executive.
The channel will have its own correspondents
based around the world, in places as
diverse as Beirut, Nairobi, Buenos Aires, Los
Angeles, Islamabad and Beijing. FRANCE
24 will also work closely with the bureaus of
France Télévisions and TF1 networks, which
will provide access to images and reports
from their own correspondents. In addition,
FRANCE 24 is developing partnerships with
other French media like TV5 Monde, AFP, RFI
as well as international networks, to enrich its
programming.
The big debate
FRANCE 24 plans to create responsive and
dynamic programming, offering newscasts
every hour and half hour. News and current
affairs will be strong on opinion and analysis,
often presented in the great French tradition
of debate. FRANCE 24 will also offer
programming that ranges from sports to
culture to lifestyle.
The network will broadcast programmes
directly from its main office in Issy-les-Moulineaux, on the outskirts of Paris. The
editorial team of 150 journalists will operate
from a vast newsroom of 1000 square meters
with state-of-the-art technology including a
high-speed network hosting the automation
services, broadcast images, and IP telephone.
The entire infrastructure, including wiring and
video grid is HD ready and programmes will be
automatically transcoded and made available
for the Internet.
Besides being available via HOT BIRD™,
viewers in the United Kingdom and Ireland
will be able to tune into the channel via
EUROBIRD™ 1. The channel will also
be available to cable homes in Germany
via Eutelsat’s KabelKiosk platform on the
ATLANTIC BIRD™ 2 satellite.
The news landscape looks set to change,
with the emergence of a distinctive French
perspective on global events.
