France 2 () is a French public national television channel. It is part of the
state-owned
State ownership, also called government ownership and public ownership, is the ownership of an industry, asset, or enterprise by the state or a public body representing a community, as opposed to an individual or private party. Public ownersh ...
France Télévisions group, along with
France 3,
France 4 and
France 5. France Télévisions also participates in
Arte and
Euronews
Euronews (styled on-air in lowercase as euronews) is a European television news network, headquartered in Lyon, France. The network began broadcasting on 1 January 1993 and covers world news from a European perspective.
The majority of Eurone ...
.
Since 3:20 CET on 7 April 2008, all France 2 programming has been broadcast in 16:9 widescreen format over the French
analogue and
digital terrestrial television. An HD simulcast feed of France 2 has been broadcasting on satellite provider
CanalSat since 1 July 2008 and on digital terrestrial television since 30 October 2008.
History
Originally under the ownership of the
RTF
RTF may refer to:
Organisations
* African Union Regional Task Force, the military operation of the RCI-LRA, 2011–2018.
* Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française, a broadcaster in France, 1949–1964
* Russian Tennis Federation, the national gover ...
, the channel went on the air for the first time on 18 April 1964 as ''
RTF
RTF may refer to:
Organisations
* African Union Regional Task Force, the military operation of the RCI-LRA, 2011–2018.
* Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française, a broadcaster in France, 1949–1964
* Russian Tennis Federation, the national gover ...
Télévision 2''. Within a year,
ORTF rebranded that channel as ''La deuxième chaîne'' (The Second Channel). Originally, the network was broadcast on 625-line transmitters only in preparation for the discontinuation of
819-line
819-line was an analog monochrome TV system developed and used in France as television broadcast resumed after World War II. Transmissions started in 1949 and were active up to 1985, although limited to France, Belgium and Luxembourg. It is associa ...
black & white transmissions and the introduction of colour. The switch to colour occurred at 14:15
CET
CET or cet may refer to:
Places
* Cet, Albania
* Cet, standard astronomical abbreviation for the constellation Cetus
* Colchester Town railway station (National Rail code CET), in Colchester, England
Arts, entertainment, and media
* Comcast Ente ...
on 1 October 1967, using the
SECAM
SECAM, also written SÉCAM (, ''Séquentiel de couleur à mémoire'', French for ''color sequential with memory''), is an analog color television system that was used in France, some parts of Europe and Africa, and Russia. It was one of th ...
system. ''La deuxième chaîne'' became the first colour television channel in France.
TF1
TF1 (; standing for ''Télévision Française 1'') is a French commercial television network owned by TF1 Group, controlled by the Bouygues conglomerate. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network.
TF1 is par ...
would not commence colour broadcasting on 625-lines until 1 September 1975. Such technology later allowed the network to air programming in
NICAM stereo (compatible with SECAM).
The present channel is the direct successor of Antenne 2, established under a 1974 law that mandated the breakup of ORTF into seven distinct organisations. Three television "programme corporations" were established on 6 January 1975 –
TF1
TF1 (; standing for ''Télévision Française 1'') is a French commercial television network owned by TF1 Group, controlled by the Bouygues conglomerate. TF1's average market share of 24% makes it the most popular domestic network.
TF1 is par ...
, Antenne 2 and FR3, now
France 3 – alongside
Radio France, the Société française de production, the public broadcasting agency
Télédiffusion de France and the
Institut national de l'audiovisuel
The (abbrev. INA), () is a repository of all French radio and television audiovisual archives. Additionally it provides free access to archives of countries such as Afghanistan and Cambodia. It has its headquarters in Bry-sur-Marne.
Since 200 ...
(INA). Antenne 2 and the other corporations were constituted as limited companies with the state controlling 100% of their capital. Although the three channels were set up as competitors vying for advertisers, they retained a collective monopoly over television broadcasting in France that was not repealed until 1981. Privately owned channels such as
Canal+ and
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 ...
(now superseded by
France 5) soon became major competitors to the state-owned channels after the state monopoly was lifted.
[Rigourd, Serge. "France", in ''Western Broadcasting at the Dawn of the 21st Century'', pp. 255, 270. Eds. Haenens, Leen; Saeys, Frieda. Walter de Gruyter, 2001. ] The breakup of ORTF had been intended to stimulate competition between the public channels but failed in this aim; both TF1 and Antenne 2 came to rely on a diet of popular entertainment shows alongside cheap American imports, seeking to maximise ratings and attract advertisers.
TF1 was privatised in 1987, radically affecting the balance of the French television market. The remaining state-owned channels came under severe pressure from their private competitors and lost 30% of their market share between 1987 and 1989. In an effort to save them, a single director-general was appointed to manage both Antenne 2 and FR3 and the two channels merged to form the
France Télévisions group. They were renamed on 7 September 1992 as France 2 and France 3 respectively.
By 1995, the combined audience share of the two state-owned channels was 41%, with France 2 in particular being heavily dependent on advertising and sponsorship revenues, which comprised 43.8% of its budget by 1996. The focus on ratings led to strong rivalry with TF1, for instance prompting the two channels to broadcast popular shows and news programmes in the same timeslots. TF1 and France 2 compete for the same demographics; dramas (including American imports), game shows and light entertainments form the dominant mix on both channels.
Logos
File:ORTF 2 1974.png, The logo of ORTF 2 from 1972 until 1975
File:Antenne 2 ('77).svg, Logo of Antenne 2 (1977-1986; logo remained in use for startup/closedown montage until 1990)
File:Logo France 2 1992.svg, Logo of France 2 from 7 September 1992 till 7 January 2002
File:France 2 Logo 2002.svg, Logo of France 2 from 7 January 2002 till 7 April 2008
File:France 2 logo.png, Logo of France 2 from 7 April 2008 till 29 January 2018
File:France 2 - logo 2018.svg, Logo of France 2 from 29 January 2018
File:France 2 2018.svg, On-screen logo of France 2 from 29 January 2018
Leaders of France 2
;General President-Director
* Since 7 September 1992, the position of general President-Director of France 2 has governed over both France 2 and
France Télévision
France (), officially the French Republic ( ), is a country primarily located in Western Europe. It also comprises of overseas regions and territories in the Americas and the Atlantic, Pacific and Indian Oceans. Its metropolitan area ...
.
;General Directors
* Georges Vanderchmitt (September 1992 – January 1994)
* Raphaël Hadas-Lebel (January 1994 – June 1996)
* Michel Pappalardo (June 1996 – June 1999)
*
Michèle Cotta
Michèle Cotta (born 15 June 1937) is a French political journalist.'Michèle Cotta, une femme de pouvoir', in ''Le Figaro'', 01/04/201/ref>
Bibliography
*''La Collaboration, 1940-1944'' (Paris: Armand Colin, 1964)
*''Les élections présiden ...
(June 1999 – June 2002)
* Christopher Baldelli (June 2002 – September 2005)
* Philippe Baudillon (September 2005 – December 2007)
* François Guilbeau (December 2007 – August 2010)
* Claude-Yves Robin (August 2010 – 2 October 2011)
* Bertrand Mosca (3 October 2011 – 2 April 2012)
* Jean Réveillon (since 2 April 2012)
;Program Directors
* Jean-Pierre Cottet (14 June 1996 – 20 July 1998)
* Patrice Duhamel (20 July 1998 – ?)
* François Tron (July 2001 – 1 October 2004)
* Yves Bigot (1 October 2004 – 1 September 2005)
* Jean-Baptiste Jouy (1st Septembre 2005 – 20 January 2007)
* Éric Stemmelen (20 January 2007 – 1 July 2009)
* Alain Vautier (1 July 2009 – 14 September 2011)
* Perrine Fontaine (2008 – 28 September 2012)
* Philippe Vilamitjana (2 April 2012 – 21 October 2013)
* Thierry Thuillier (since 21 October 2013)
;Information Directors
* Jean-Luc Mano (December 1993 – June 1996)
* Pierre-Henri Arnstam (June 1996 – September 2000)
* Gérard Leclerc (September 2000 – July 2001)
* Olivier Mazerolle (July 2001 – March 2004)
*
Arlette Chabot
Arlette Chabot (born 21 July 1951) is a prominent French journalist and political commentator. She was until August 2010 the head of the editorial team of France 2. In March 2011 she moved to the radio station Europe 1 to become head of news and ...
(March 2004 – 19 August 2010)
* Thierry Thuillier (20 August 2010 – 21 October 2013)
* Yannick Letranchant (since 21 October 2013)
;Writing Directors
* Éric Monier (2010–2015)
* Michel Dumoret (since March 2021)
;Sports Directors
* Jean Réveillon (1992–1998)
*
Patrick Chêne
Patrick Chêne (born 26 April 1956 in Lyon) is a French journalist who worked mainly on France Télévisions, France TV, where he commented on the Tour de France between 1989 and 2000.
Biography
Youth
Educated at the Lyons High School ...
(1999–2000)
* Charles Biétry (2000–2001)
* Frédéric Chevit (2001–2005)
*
Daniel Bilalian (since March 2005)
Programming
Italian coverage
From 1975, ''Antenne 2'' was available in Italy (regions of
Tuscany
Tuscany ( ; it, Toscana ) is a Regions of Italy, region in central Italy with an area of about and a population of about 3.8 million inhabitants. The regional capital is Florence (''Firenze'').
Tuscany is known for its landscapes, history, art ...
, Lazio,
Lower Veneto and parts of
Lombardy
Lombardy ( it, Lombardia, Lombard language, Lombard: ''Lombardia'' or ''Lumbardia' '') is an administrative regions of Italy, region of Italy that covers ; it is located in the northern-central part of the country and has a population of about 10 ...
and
Liguria
Liguria (; lij, Ligûria ; french: Ligurie) is a Regions of Italy, region of north-western Italy; its Capital city, capital is Genoa. Its territory is crossed by the Alps and the Apennine Mountains, Apennines Mountain chain, mountain range and is ...
) using
SECAM
SECAM, also written SÉCAM (, ''Séquentiel de couleur à mémoire'', French for ''color sequential with memory''), is an analog color television system that was used in France, some parts of Europe and Africa, and Russia. It was one of th ...
and since 1983 using
PAL until 2003 when the frequencies were sold to various television networks such as
Canale Italia
''Canale Italia S.r.l.'' is a Veneto-based Italian broadcasting company.
History
After more than 20 years broadcasting in the North-East area of Italy with the name ''Serenissima Tv'', in 2004 it acquired UHF channels from France 2 relay ''Tel ...
and
Gruppo Editoriale L'Espresso
GEDI Gruppo Editoriale S.p.A., formerly known as Gruppo Editoriale L'Espresso S.p.A. is an Italian media conglomerate. Founded in 1955, it is based in Turin, Italy.
History
In 2009, the group L'Espresso created an online advertising consortium ...
.
On 11 December 2006, France 2 was again made available across Italy on
Digital terrestrial television until 7 June 2007, when it was replaced by all-news French TV network
France 24
France 24 ( in French) is a French state-owned international news television network based in Paris. Its channels broadcast in French, English, Arabic, and Spanish and are aimed at the overseas market.
Based in the Paris suburb of Issy-les-M ...
.
France 2 is now only available in
Aosta Valley due to Italian self-government laws, and in the border zones because of natural spillover.
Controversy
Lebanese Civil War kidnapping of Antenne 2 news team
In March 1986, an Antenne 2 news team was
kidnapped
Kidnapped may refer to:
* subject to the crime of kidnapping
Literature
* ''Kidnapped'' (novel), an 1886 novel by Robert Louis Stevenson
* ''Kidnapped'' (comics), a 2007 graphic novel adaptation of R. L. Stevenson's novel by Alan Grant and Ca ...
in
Beirut
Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint o ...
while reporting on the
Lebanese Civil War
The Lebanese Civil War ( ar, الحرب الأهلية اللبنانية, translit=Al-Ḥarb al-Ahliyyah al-Libnāniyyah) was a multifaceted armed conflict that took place from 1975 to 1990. It resulted in an estimated 120,000 fatalities a ...
. Philippe Rochot, Georges Hansen, Aurel Cornéa and Jean-Louis Normandin were four of many Western hostages held by terrorists during the conflict. During the opening sequences of Antenne 2 news bulletins, the headlines would be followed by a reminder of the French hostages held in Lebanon, including others such as Michel Seurat and Jean-Paul Kaufman, with names, photos and the length of their captivity. Within a year, most of the news team had been released and returned to France, but the reminders continued until all the hostages had been freed.
Muhammad al-Durrah shooting
On 30 September 2000, France 2 aired the famous footage of the shooting of
Muhammad al-Durrah
On 30 September 2000, the second day of the Second Intifada, 12-year-old Muhammad al-Durrah () was killed in the Gaza Strip during widespread protests and riots across the Palestinian territories against Israeli military occupation. Jama ...
in the
Gaza Strip
The Gaza Strip (;The New Oxford Dictionary of English (1998) – p.761 "Gaza Strip /'gɑːzə/ a strip of territory under the control of the Palestinian National Authority and Hamas, on the SE Mediterranean coast including the town of Gaza.. ...
. The scene was filmed by a Palestinian journalist,
Talal Abu Rahma
On 30 September 2000, the second day of the Second Intifada, 12-year-old Muhammad al-Durrah () was killed in the Gaza Strip during widespread protests and riots across the Palestinian territories against Israeli military occupation. Jamal ...
, who worked for the station. The voiceover, blaming the killing on fire from the
Israeli Defence Forces
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF; he, צְבָא הַהֲגָנָה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל , ), alternatively referred to by the Hebrew-language acronym (), is the national military of the State of Israel. It consists of three service branch ...
, was provided by the channel's reporter
Charles Enderlin
Charles Enderlin (born 1945) is a French-Israeli journalist, specialising in the Middle East and Israel. He is the author of a number of books on the subject, including ''Shamir, une biographie'' (1991), ''Shattered Dreams: The Failure of the Pea ...
. Subsequently, that account was put in doubt, with others suggesting that the fatal shots could not have come from the IDF position. France 2 later launched
libel
Defamation is the act of communicating to a third party false statements about a person, place or thing that results in damage to its reputation. It can be spoken (slander) or written (libel). It constitutes a tort or a crime. The legal defini ...
actions against commentators who alleged that the incident was staged. France 2 won a case against one of those critics,
Philippe Karsenty
Philippe Karsenty (born 25 June 1966) is a French politician and founder of ''Media-Ratings'', a company monitoring the French media for bias. Karsenty came to public attention when he was sued for libel by the public French television network, ...
who was eventually and definitely fined €7,000 by the
Court of Appeal of Paris in 2013.
["Media analyst convicted over France-2 Palestinian boy footage"]
Associated Press, 26 June 2013. Karsenty had been convicted in 2006, acquitted in appeal in 2008, a decision that was overturned in 2012 by the
Cour de cassation
A court of cassation is a high-instance court that exists in some judicial systems. Courts of cassation do not re-examine the facts of a case, they only interpret the relevant law. In this they are appellate courts of the highest instance. In th ...
.
Gaza War
In January 2009, during the
Gaza War, France 2 was accused of airing misleading footage that was biased against
Israel
Israel (; he, יִשְׂרָאֵל, ; ar, إِسْرَائِيل, ), officially the State of Israel ( he, מְדִינַת יִשְׂרָאֵל, label=none, translit=Medīnat Yīsrāʾēl; ), is a country in Western Asia. It is situated ...
.
It aired portion of a video that purported to show destruction caused by the Israel Air Force, but was shown to be a different incident from 2005 in which the IDF denied having any involvement. After being alerted to the error by
bloggers, France 2 acknowledged the error and formally apologized in the magazine ''
Le Figaro
''Le Figaro'' () is a French daily morning newspaper founded in 1826. It is headquartered on Boulevard Haussmann in the 9th arrondissement of Paris. The oldest national newspaper in France, ''Le Figaro'' is one of three French newspapers of reco ...
'', saying that it was an "internal malfunction" caused by their staff having "worked too fast."
2013 report on weapons smuggling from Serbia to France
France 2 has been accused of knowingly producing and airing a news item whose key part it fabricated and staged.
On 7 March 2013, France 2 aired an eight-minute investigative report purporting to expose a weapons smuggling channel from Serbia to France. The report authors, journalists Franck Genauzeau and Régis Mathé, traveled to Serbia in February 2013 where they filmed a story claiming that Serbia is a hub for international weapons smuggling. Among its footage, the report showed two masked men – identified as Serbian weapons smugglers – who talked about their supposed illegal activity while showing off some of the weaponry: in particular two hand guns and one
AK-47 Kalashnikov. They're also shown firing off rounds in the woods.
After the report aired, the
Serbian police's criminal department (UKP) conducted a month-long investigation, revealing its findings in May 2013 that parts of the French news story were staged with full knowledge of the two France 2 journalists.
According to the police report, Genauzeau and Mathé arrived in Belgrade where they hired a local media fixer named Aleksandar M. who was employed at a Serbian news agency, giving him the task of finding weapons smugglers willing to go before a camera. Aleksandar M. apparently contacted his cousin Nenad Mirković and told him that the French were willing to pay €800 for weapons smugglers. At this point Mirković decided that he himself will appear on camera and also contacted his friend Žarko Blagojević to do the same. In order to make their act more credible, they then obtained two handguns –
Zastava 9mm and 7.56mm – from Blagojević's father-in-law and father respectively. They also decided to get an automatic weapon by buying it from certain Milorad Novaković, a resident of
Umka. Apparently, the two first offered him €200, but Novaković wanted €350, at which point they went back to two French journalists asking for more money and getting it.
Coached by Genauzeau and Mathé, the footage featuring masked Blagojević and Mirković was shot at a house owned by Blagojević's friend in Umka. Afterwards, they went into the nearby woods in Duboko near Umka where they fired off a few rounds for the cameras. They then returned the two handguns to Blagojević's father and father in law before selling the Kalashnikov for €100. According to the Serbian police report, Aleksandar M. was paid €300 by the French journalists while Mirković and Blagojević split the €800 between themselves.
Serbian foreign minister
Ivan Mrkić
Ivan Mrkić ( sr-cyr, Иван Мркић, , born 30 May 1953) is a Serbian diplomat and the former Minister of Foreign Affairs.
Early life and education
Mrkić was born in Belgrade, Serbia, Yugoslavia, where he finished his elementary and sec ...
reacted to the police report by "seeking explanations from France as the ministry looks to make sure the untruths from the report are clarified".
French national TV fabricates story about weapons smuggling
B92, 27 May 2013
References
External links
*
France Télévisions Corporate site
{{Authority control
02
Television channels and stations established in 1964
French-language television stations
Television stations in France