France 24 facts for kids
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| Type | Broadcasting news, discussions, public service broadcasting |
|---|---|
| Country | France |
| Broadcast area | Worldwide |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | French, English, Arabic and Spanish |
| Picture format | 1080i (HDTV) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | France Médias Monde (Government of France) |
| Key people |
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| History | |
| Launched | 6 December 2006 |
| Former names | Chaîne française d'Information internationale (before July 2006) |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| Digital terrestrial television (Île-de-France) |
Channel 33 |
| Digital terrestrial television (United Kingdom) |
Channel 266 & 271 (HbbTV) |
| Digital terrestrial television (Italy) |
Channel 135 & 143 (20:00 – 8:00) |
| Levira (Estonia) | Channel 8 |
| Freenet TV (Germany) | HbbTV |
| Digital terrestrial television (United States) |
|
| Oqaab (Afghanistan) |
Channel 46 |
| Zuku TV (Kenya) | Channel 566 (English) (Zuku Fiber only) Channel 813 (Arabic) (Zuku Fiber only) Channel 822 (French) (Zuku Fiber only) |
| Open View | Channel 121 (English) |
| Streaming media | |
| Canal Digital Live App | Watch Live |
France 24 is a French international news TV channel. It is funded by the French government. The channel broadcasts from Paris in four languages: French, English, Arabic, and Spanish. Its main goal is to share news with people all over the world.
France 24 started broadcasting on December 6, 2006. It aims to offer a different view on world news. You can watch it through many TV providers globally. It's also available online through its website, YouTube, and mobile apps.
Since 2008, the French government fully owns France 24. This happened when the government bought out shares from its previous partners. The channel is part of a larger group called France Médias Monde.
Contents
What's on France 24?
France 24 broadcasts on four different channels. Each channel is in a different language: French, English, Arabic, and Spanish.
The channel's programs are split into two main types. About half of the time is spent on live news reports. The other half is for special news shows and longer reports.
France 24 has its own team of 260 journalists. It also uses news from other big French news groups. These include AFP and RFI.
In 2016, France 24 began sharing its night-time French programs. It shares them with a French channel called France Info. This means France 24 journalists are awake and working when others might be sleeping.
How France 24 Started
Early Ideas for a News Channel
The idea for France 24 came from French President Jacques Chirac. He wanted a French news channel for the world. At the time, English-language news channels were very popular. He felt France needed its own voice in global news.
Back in 1986, the French Prime Minister also wanted an international news channel. He noticed that France's existing international broadcasts were not well organized.
The Gulf War in 1990 showed how powerful global news channels like CNN International were. This made French leaders want their own version even more.
Over many years, different ideas were suggested. Some thought about buying an existing news channel. Others wanted to create a new one from scratch. There were also ideas to make existing French channels stronger.
Making the Channel Happen
In 2002, President Jacques Chirac pushed for the project again. He said France needed a big, 24-hour news channel. He wanted it to be as good as the BBC or CNN. He believed it was important for France's influence in the world.
After more discussions, a plan was made. It involved a partnership between two big French TV groups. These were France Télévisions and Groupe TF1. They would work together to launch the new channel.
There were some disagreements along the way. Some thought the channel's budget was too small. Others worried about mixing public and private companies. But eventually, the plan moved forward.
The Launch of France 24
The channel was officially named "France 24" on June 30, 2006. The name "France vingt-quatre" means "France twenty-four" in French.
France 24 first launched on December 6, 2006. It began as a live stream on the internet. A day later, it started broadcasting via satellite. This covered France, Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and parts of the United States. In April 2007, they added programs in Arabic.
In 2008, the French government took full ownership of France 24. This made it a completely public service channel. This change aimed to make the channel even stronger and more focused on its public mission.
How France 24 is Run
From 2006 to 2008, France 24 was managed by different boards. In 2008, the French government bought all the shares. This made France 24 part of France Médias Monde. This company is 100% owned by the French government.
France 24 gets its money from two main places. One is a fee paid by households in France that own a TV. The other is a direct payment from the French government.
Shows and Presenters
| France 24 (English) Mon-Thu | ||
|---|---|---|
| Program | Time slot | Anchor |
| Day Break | 0600-0900 | Haxie Meyers-Belkin |
| The World Today | 0900-1200 | Stuart Norval |
| Paris Direct | 1200-1500 | Genie Godula |
| Around The World | 1500-1800 | Nadia Massih |
| World View | 1800-2000 | Francois Picard |
| Prime News Paris | 2000-2200 | Tom Burges-Watson |
| World Roundup | 2200-0100 | Mark Owen |
| Night Watch | 0100-0600 | James Mullholland |
| France 24 (English) Fri-Sun | ||
|---|---|---|
| Program | Time slot | Anchor |
| Day Break | 0600-1000 | Sharon Gaffney |
| Paris Direct | 1000-1400 | William Hilderbrandt |
| Around The World | 1400-1800 | Alison Sargent |
| World View | 1800-2100 | Gavin Lee |
| World Roundup | 2100-0100 | Jean-Emile Jammine |
| Night Watch | 0100-0600 | Alexander Aucott |
| France 24 (French) Mon-Thu | ||
|---|---|---|
| Program | Time slot | Anchor |
| A La Une | 0600-0900 | Damien Coquet |
| Parlons-En | 0900-1200 | Pauline Paccard |
| Paris Direct | 1200-1500 | Elisabeth Allain |
| Autuour Du Monde | 1500-1800 | Julien Fanciulli |
| Au Coeur De L'Info | 1800-2000 | Stephanie Antoine |
| L'Essentiel | 2000-2200 | Raphael Kahane |
| L'Actu 360 | 2200-0100 | Claire Hilderbrandt |
| L'Edition Nuit | 0100-0600 | Sandrine Gomes |
| France 24 (French) Fri-Sun | ||
|---|---|---|
| Program | Time slot | Anchor |
| A La Une | 0600-1000 | Philome Robert |
| Paris Direct | 1000-1400 | Judith Grimaldi |
| Autuour Du Monde | 1400-1800 | Nabia Makhloufi-Oussibrahim |
| Au Coeur De L'Info | 1800-2100 | Achren Verdian |
| L'Essentiel | 2100-0100 | Marion Gaudin |
| L'Edition Nuit | 0100-0600 | Aude Kersulec |
Popular Programmes
France 24 offers many different shows. Here are some of them:
- Across Africa - reviews political and social news from Africa.
- Beyond Business - looks at business topics.
- Culture - covers arts and culture.
- The Debate - a live discussion about important current issues.
- Eye on Africa - daily news from Africa.
- Fashion - explores the world of fashion.
- In the Papers - reviews news from newspapers.
- Media Watch - looks at how media covers stories.
- The Observers - highlights stories from citizen journalists.
- Reporters - features reports from journalists around the world.
- Tech 24 - focuses on technology news.
- This Week in Asia - a weekly summary of news from Asia.
- This Week in Europe - a weekly summary of news from Europe.
- This Week in the Americas - a weekly summary of news from the Americas.
- This Week in the Middle East - a weekly summary of news from the Middle East.
Where to Watch France 24
France 24 is available in many parts of the world. You can watch it via satellite in Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. It's also on cable and antenna in some US cities. In places like New Zealand, it's on Sky Network Television. In Pakistan, it's on most cable systems.
All four language channels (French, English, Arabic, Spanish) are available live. You can watch them on the France 24 website. They also have a free app for mobile phones. This lets you watch live or catch up on shows.
In 2017, France 24 launched its Spanish-language channel. Its newsroom is in Bogotá, Colombia. This channel aims to serve the Latin American market.
France 24 also supports new TV technologies like Hybrid Broadcast Broadband TV (HbbTV). This helps combine regular TV with online content.
Long-Term Goals
France 24 wants to be a top international news channel. It aims to compete with channels like BBC World News and CNN International. The channel focuses on discussions and different cultural viewpoints. It also competes with channels like Al Jazeera English and NHK World.
The French government has invested money in this project. The goal is to offer a unique French view on world events.
See also
- Television in France
- International broadcasting
- International news channels
- State media
