Christian Jacques Dutoit (18 October 1940 – 5 September 2021) was a French journalist.
Biography
Dutoit was close with and made his career at the
Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française
L'Office de Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (ORTF; ) was the national agency charged, between 1964 and 1975, with providing public radio and television in France. All programming, and especially news broadcasts, were under strict control ...
(ORTF) in the 1960s and 70s. In 1981, he was appointed director of programs for . He also headed the development and launch of
La Cinq
La Cinq () was France's first privately owned free-to-air television network. Created by politician Jérôme Seydoux and Italian media mogul Silvio Berlusconi, the network broadcast from 1985 to 1992.
The contract for France's fifth terrest ...
in 1985. He became deputy managing director of
TF1 in 1987 and was the founder of
La Chaîne Info
La Chaîne Info (LCI; English: "The News Channel") is a French free-to-air news channel. It is part of TF1 Group.
History
LCI was launched on 24 June 1994 by Christian Dutoit on behalf of the media group TF1 as a pay television channel. Its lau ...
in 1993. In 1995, he designed and launched 18 channels in the
AB Sat package and developed
i>Télé for
Groupe Canal+
Groupe Canal+ is a French mass media company. It is owned and controlled by Vivendi and has a film library in excess of 5,000 films. Vivendi has sold some parts of Canal+ to private investors which are still using the name of Canal+. It is headqu ...
in 1997. In 2002, he became director of productions for
Expand.
From 2003 to 2009, Dutoit was a member of the ''
Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel
The (, ''lit.'' ''Superior Audiovisual Council''), abbreviated CSA, was a French institution created in 1989 whose role was to regulate the various electronic media in France, such as radio and television. The creation of the was a measure foun ...
''. In 2009, he joined the
French Economic, Social and Environmental Council
The Economic, Social and Environmental Council (French: ''Conseil économique, social et environnemental''), known as the Economic and Social Council before the constitutional law of 23 July 2008, is a consultative assembly in France. It does ...
.
Christian Dutoit died on 5 September 2021 at the age of 80.
Distinctions
*Knight of the
Legion of Honour
The National Order of the Legion of Honour (french: Ordre national de la Légion d'honneur), formerly the Royal Order of the Legion of Honour ('), is the highest French order of merit, both military and civil. Established in 1802 by Napoleon, ...
(1994)
*
Combatant's Cross
The Combatant's Cross (french: "Croix du combattant") is a French decoration that recognizes, as its name implies, those who fought in combat for France. The Poilus (French combat soldiers) of World War I worked toward recognition by the governm ...
*
Medal of the Nation's Gratitude
The Medal of the Nation's Gratitude (french: "Medaille de Reconnaissance de la Nation") is a French state decoration established on 12 April 2002 by decree 2002-511 and awarded to civilians, veterans of civil or military service, and to members ...
References
{{DEFAULTSORT:Dutoit, Christian
1940 births
2021 deaths
French journalists
People from Rabat
Chevaliers of the Légion d'honneur