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

far-right Far-right politics, often termed right-wing extremism, encompasses a range of ideologies that are marked by ultraconservatism, authoritarianism, ultranationalism, and nativism. This political spectrum situates itself on the far end of the ...

Web TV MSN TV (formerly WebTV) was a web access product consisting of a thin client device that used a television for display (instead of using a computer monitor), and the online service that supported it. The original WebTV device design and service ...

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

Front National The National Rally (, , RN), known as the National Front from 1972 to 2018 (, , FN), is a French far-right politics, far-right political party, described as right-wing populist and French nationalism, nationalist. It is the single largest Nat ...

leader. TV Libertés 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 political philosopher and journalist, a founding member of the ''Nouvelle Droite'' (France's European Ne ...

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 ...

, 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 Nouvell ...

and Bloc Identitaire) 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, Yvan Blot,

Robert Ménard Robert Ménard (; born 6 July 1953) is a French politician and former journalist who has served as Mayor of Béziers since 2014. He co-founded the Paris-based international NGO Reporters Without Borders, which he led as its general-secretary ...

, ,

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 a member of Via since 2018 Early life Paul-Marie Coûtea ...

, Renaud Camus,

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, Mégret stud ...

, Pierre Descaves, Michel Marmin, Roger Holeindre, Jean-Michel Dubernard,

Bernard Lugan Bernard Jean René 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 ...

, and

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

. TV Libertés was officially launched on

YouTube YouTube is an American social media and online video sharing platform owned by Google. YouTube was founded on February 14, 2005, by Steve Chen, Chad Hurley, and Jawed Karim who were three former employees of PayPal. Headquartered in ...

in January 2014.

Development

TV Libertés has promoted pro-Russian views regarding

international relations International relations (IR, and also referred to as international studies, international politics, or international affairs) is an academic discipline. In a broader sense, the study of IR, in addition to multilateral relations, concerns al ...

. 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 jɪˈvɡʲenʲjɪvʲɪtɕ nɐˈrɨʂkʲɪn; born 27 October 1954) is a Russian politician who has served as the Director of SVR, di ...

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

Donetsk People's Republic The Donetsk People's Republic (DPR; , ) is Russian-occupied territories of Ukraine, occupied territory in Ukraine that the Russian Federation has claimed to annex and declared as a Republics of Russia, republic of Russia, comprising parts o ...

and the

Luhansk People's Republic The Luhansk People's Republic (LPR; , ) is a disputed territory administered as a republic of Russia in the occupied parts of eastern Ukraine's Luhansk Oblast, with its capital in Luhansk. The LPR was proclaimed by Russian-backed paramilitar ...

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

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 ethn ...

''. In June 2018, the YouTube channel was shut down 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 of the far-right National Rally, National Rally party (RN). She served as the party's president from 2011 to 2021, and ran for the French presidency in ...

. 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 of Transport (France), Minister in charge of Transport under the Ministry of the Ecol ...

Marion Maréchal Marion Jeanne Caroline Maréchal (; ; born 10 December 1989), known as Marion Maréchal-Le Pen from 2010 to 2018, is a French politician who has served as a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) since 2024 European Parliament election in Fran ...

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 and the vice president of the National Rally (previously named National Front) since 2011. A member of the FN Executive Office, Executive Committee and Central Committee, Aliot has bee ...

, and

Bruno Gollnisch Bruno Gollnisch (; born 28 January 1950) is a French academic and politician of the far-right National Rally (RN), formerly known as National Front. He was a member of the European Parliament and was chairman of the European Parliamentary group ...

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

Jean-Marie Le Pen Jean Louis Marie Le Pen (20 June 1928 – 7 January 2025), commonly known as Jean-Marie Le Pen (), was a French politician, lawyer and activist. He founded the far-right National Front (now National Rally) party and served as the party's presi ...

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.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 the minor party Debout la France. He was its only member in the National Assembly (France), Nationa ...

Christine Boutin Christine Boutin (, born 6 February 1944) is a French former politician leading the small French Christian Democratic Party. She served as a member of the French National Assembly representing Yvelines, from 1986 until 2007, when she was appo ...

, or .

References

{{Reflist Internet television channels 2014 establishments in France Far-right politics in France