TV Libertés, or TVL (English: "TV Liberties"), is a French

far-right Far-right politics, also referred to as the extreme right or right-wing extremism, are political beliefs and actions further to the right of the left–right political spectrum than the standard political right, particularly in terms of being ...

Web TV Streaming television is the digital distribution of television content, such as TV shows, as streaming media delivered over the Internet. Streaming television stands in contrast to dedicated terrestrial television delivered by over-the-air aer ...

launched in January 2014. The group is led by Philippe Milliau and Martial Bild, a former

Front National The National Rally (french: Rassemblement National, ; RN), until 2018 known as the National Front (french: link=no, Front National, ; FN), is a far-rightAbridged list of reliable sources that refer to National Rally as far-right: Academic: ...

leader. TV Libertés is recognized by observers for its professionalism when compared to other French far-right channels, and it seeks to compete with mainstream cable TV.

Alain de Benoist Alain de Benoist (; ; born 11 December 1943) – also known as Fabrice Laroche, Robert de Herte, David Barney, and other pen names – is a French journalist and political philosopher, a founding member of the Nouvelle Droite ("New Right"), and ...

and

Gilbert Collard Gilbert Georges Jean Camille René Collard (; born 3 February 1948) is a French writer, barrister and politician serving as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) since 2019. A member of the National Rally (RN) until 2022, he was a member of t ...

, among others, have hosted talk shows on the channel.

History

Background

The project was initiated as "Notre antenne" by Philippe Millau (former

GRECE The Groupement de Recherche et d'Études pour la Civilisation Européenne ("Research and Study Group for European Civilization"), better known as GRECE, is a French ethnonationalist think tank founded in 1968 to promote the ideas of the Nouvelle ...

and

Bloc Identitaire Les Identitaires (English: The Identitarians), formerly the Bloc identitaire (English: ''Identitarian Bloc''), is an Identitarian nationalist movement in France. Like the French New Right, scholars generally consider the movement far-righ ...

) and Gilles Arnaud (former

). In 2013, the founders called for donations, hoping to raise around 1.5 million euros. Numerous far-right figures responded by sponsoring the project, among them

Jean-Yves Le Gallou Jean-Yves Le Gallou (born 4 October 1948) is a French politician. He served as a member of the European Parliament from 1994 until 1999, representing the National Front. Since 2022, he has been a member of Reconquête. Career Le Gallou began ...

Yvan Blot Yvan Blot (29 June 1948 – 10 October 2018) was a French conservative politician. A founding member of the GRECE, he was also the co-creator and president of the Club de l'Horloge. Biography Born on 29 June 1948 in Saint-Mandé, Yvan Blot was ...

Robert Ménard Robert Ménard (born 6 July 1953) is a French far-right politician, currently serving as Mayor of Béziers. Formerly a journalist, he was a co-founder of the Paris-based international non-governmental organisation Reporters Without Borders, actin ...

, ,

Paul-Marie Coûteaux Paul-Marie Coûteaux (born 31 July 1956, in Paris) is a French politician and author. He served as a Member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2009 for the Movement for France, and since 2022 has been a member of Reconquête. Early life P ...

Renaud Camus Renaud Camus (; ; born Jean Renaud Gabriel Camus on 10 August 1946) is a French novelist, Conspiracy theory, conspiracy theorist and White nationalism, white nationalist writer. He is the inventor of the "Great Replacement", a Far-right politic ...

Bruno Mégret Bruno Mégret (; born 4 April 1949) is a French former nationalist politician. He was the leader of the Mouvement National Républicain political party, but retired in 2008 from all political action. Youth and studies Born in Paris, Bruno Mégre ...

, Pierre Descaves,

Michel Marmin Michel Marmin (born 18 November 1943) is a French journalist and film critic. Biography Born 18 November 1943, Michel Marmin was a member of the non-religious scouting association Éclaireurs de France in the 1950s. He attended the Institut d ...

Roger Holeindre Roger Holeindre (21 March 1929 – 30 January 2020) was a French Army veteran, politician and author. He served in the First Indochina War and the Algerian War, was a member of the National Assembly (France), National Assembly from 1986 to 1988. H ...

Jean-Michel Dubernard Jean-Michel Dubernard (; 17 May 1941 – 10 July 2021) was a French medical doctor specializing in transplant surgery who served as a Deputy in the French National Assembly. He was born in Lyon. Dr. Dubernard was most famous for performi ...

Bernard Lugan Bernard Lugan (born 10 May 1946) is a French historian who specialises in African history. He is a professor at the Institut des hautes études de défense nationale (IHEDN) and the editor of the journal ''L'Afrique réelle'' ("Real Africa"). Lug ...

, and

Jean Raspail Jean Raspail (, 5 July 1925 – 13 June 2020) was a French author, traveler, and explorer. Many of his books are about historical figures, exploration and indigenous peoples. He was a recipient of the prestigious French literary awards Grand Pri ...

. TV Libertés was officially launched on

YouTube YouTube is a global online video platform, online video sharing and social media, social media platform headquartered in San Bruno, California. It was launched on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim. It is owned by ...

in January 2014.

Development

TV Libertés has promoted pro-Russian views regarding

international relations International relations (IR), sometimes referred to as international studies and international affairs, is the scientific study of interactions between sovereign states. In a broader sense, it concerns all activities between states—such as ...

. In September 2014 it was the only French TV channel allowed to cover a meeting of

Sergey Naryshkin Sergey Yevgenyevich Naryshkin ( rus, Серге́й Евге́ньевич Нары́шкин, p=sʲɪrˈɡʲej jɪˈvɡʲenʲɪvʲɪtɕ nɐˈrɨʂkʲɪn; born 27 October 1954) is a Russian politician and businessman who has served as the dire ...

held at the Russian embassy in Paris. During the informal parliamentary election held in the

Donetsk People's Republic The Donetsk People's Republic ( rus, Донецкая Народная Республика, Donetskaya Narodnaya Respublika, dɐˈnʲetskəjə nɐˈrodnəjə rʲɪˈspublʲɪkə; abbreviated as DPR or DNR, rus, ДНР) is a Territorial ...

and the

Luhansk People's Republic The Luhansk or Lugansk People's Republic (russian: Луга́нская Наро́дная Респу́блика, Luganskaya Narodnaya Respublika, ; abbreviated as LPR or LNR, rus, ЛНР) is a disputed entity created by Russian-backed ...

, TV Libertés was allowed to cover the work of the French "election monitor", Jean-Luc Shaffhauser. Since 2017, it broadcasts a video talk show, ''Le Plus d'Élements'', hosted by Olivier François in collaboration with the

Nouvelle Droite The Nouvelle Droite (; en, "New Right"), sometimes shortened to the initialism ND, is a far-right political movement which emerged in France during the late 1960s. The Nouvelle Droite is at the origin of the wider European New Right (ENR). Vario ...

magazine ''

Éléments ''Éléments'' is a French bi-monthly magazine launched in September 1973 and associated with the Nouvelle Droite. It is published by the white nationalist thinktank GRECE. History Initially serving as the internal bulletin of GRECE, an ethno-n ...

''. In June 2018, the YouTube channel was shutdown due to "infringement to copyright", which led to critical reactions from

members, including its leader

Marine Le Pen Marion Anne Perrine "Marine" Le Pen (; born 5 August 1968) is a French lawyer and politician who ran for the French presidency in 2012, 2017, and 2022. A member of the National Rally (RN; previously the National Front, FN), she served as its pre ...

. The organization started to publish videos again on YouTube in February 2019.

Organization

TV Libertés is directed by Philippe Milliau, the president of the channel, and Martial Bild, who serves as its editor-in-chief. The group also owns a radio station named "Radio Libertés".

Guests

The aim of the channel is to bridge far-right and mainstream right-wing figures. Several FN politicians have been interviewed, including

Thierry Mariani Thierry Mariani (born 8 August 1958) is a French politician serving as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) since 2019. He previously served as Minister in charge of Transport under the Minister of Ecology, Sustainable development, Transp ...

Marion Maréchal Marion Jeanne Caroline Maréchal (; born Le Pen, 10 December 1989), known as Marion Maréchal-Le Pen from 2010 to 2018, is a French politician, part of the Le Pen family, granddaughter of National Front (renamed National Rally in 2018) founder ...

Nicolas Bay Nicolas Bay (born 21 December 1977) is a French politician and Member of the European Parliament (MEP) from France. He served as General Secretary of the National Front from 2014 to 2017. He has served as a Regional Councillor for Normandy si ...

Louis Aliot Louis Aliot (; born 4 September 1969) is a French politician, a lawyer by profession, and the vice president of the National Rally (previously named National Front) since 16 January 2011. A member of the FN Executive Office, Executive Committee a ...

, and

Bruno Gollnisch Bruno Gollnisch (; born 28 January 1950) is a French academic and politician, a member of the National Front (France), National Front (FN) History of far-right movements in France, far-right party. He was a member of the Member of the European ...

. Various figures of the French right have also been invited, such as

Jean-Marie Le Pen Jean Louis Marie Le Pen (, born 20 June 1928) is a French far-right politician who served as President of the National Front from 1972 to 2011. He also served as Honorary President of the National Front from 2011 to 2015. Le Pen graduated fro ...

Philippe de Villiers Philippe Marie Jean Joseph Le Jolis de Villiers de Saintignon, known as Philippe de Villiers (; born 25 March 1949), is a French entrepreneur, politician and novelist.Main Website Retrieved 4 March 2009. He is the founder of the Puy du Fou theme ...

Nicolas Dupont-Aignan Nicolas Dupont-Aignan (; born 7 March 1961), sometimes referred to by his initials NDA, is a French politician serving since 2008 as President of minor party Debout la France. He is its only member of the National Assembly, elected for Essonne' ...

Christine Boutin Christine Boutin (, born 6 February 1944) is a French former politician leading the small French Christian Democratic Party (France), Christian Democratic Party. She served as a member of the French National Assembly representing Yvelines, fro ...

, or .

References

{{Reflist Streaming television 2014 establishments in France Far-right politics in France