TF1

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Coordinates: 48°50′1.9″N, 2°15′38.3″E

TF1
TF1 (Télévision Française 1)
Launched 13 February 1935
Owned by TF1 Group
Audience share 30.5% (June 2007, [1])
Country Flag of France France
Formerly called Radio-PTT Vision (1935-1939)
Fernsehsender Paris (Paris-Télévision) (1943-1944)
Télévision Française
(1944-1945)
RDF Télévision Française (1945-1949)
RTF Télévision (1949-1963)
La première chaîne (1963-1964)
La Première Chaîne de la ORTF (1964-1975)
Sister channel(s) LCI
Eurosport
France 24
TF6
Website www.tf1.fr
Availability
Terrestrial
SECAM Channel 1
TNT Channel 1
Satellite
Atlantic Bird Channel 1
CanalSat Channel 1
Cable
Noos Channel 1
Numéricable Channel 1
MC Cable Channel 3
Others (See article)
IPTV over ADSL
TPSL Channel 1
Orange Telecom Channel 1
DartyBox Channel 1
Freebox TV Channel 1

TF1 is a private French TV channel, controlled by TF1 Group, whose major share-holder is Bouygues. TF1's 35% average market share, achieved on the ménagères de moins de 50 ans audience segment (house-wives less than 50 years old) makes it the most popular domestic network. It is a part of the TF1 Group of mass media companies, which also includes Eurosport, the largest European sports network.

Together with France Télévisions, TF1 co-manages the international French news channel France 24.

TF1 originally stood for Télévision Française 1 (French Television 1) but since its 1987 privatisation, the abbreviation is no longer expanded, since this would introduce a confusion with France Télévisions.

Contents

[edit] Criticism

TF1 is criticized for pandering to the "lowest common denominator": emphasis on non-informative "news", anecdotes, TV games and shows; some calling it "Trash TV". In 2004 Patrick Le Lay, CEO of TF1 made the following statement:

"There are many ways to speak about TV, but in a business perspective, let's be realistic: at the basis, TF1's job is helping Coca-Cola, for example, to sell its product. What we sell to Coca-Cola is available human brain time. Nothing is more difficult than obtaining this availability. This is where permanent change is located. We must always look out for popular programs, follow trends, surf on tendencies, in a context in which information is speeding up, getting manifold and trivialized." [1]

Critics of TF1 also contend that its news coverage is slanted towards supporting right-wing politicians — they were in particular accused of supporting Édouard Balladur in the 1995 presidential elections, and of overstating crime during the 2002 electoral campaign to tilt the balance in favour of former French president Jacques Chirac, who campaigned on law-strengthening proposals. Immigration and violence are still amalgamated in most of the channel's news programmes. Heads and famous journalists of TF1 are close friends to some of the most powerful politicians in France. TF1 allegedly gives them a hand before elections — Nicolas Sarkozy (current president of France) is a frequent guest of the channel — and expects from them a more liberal legislation on media matters, if not a bonus for Bouygues when a public contract must be signed.

In addition, it is occasionally alleged that news reports from TF1 tend to ignore issues yielding a bad light on their parent group (Bouygues), while stressing problems of competitors (such as VINCI).

As of 2005/2006, average ratings range from 30-35%. Programs shown on the network are more likely to be taken off the air if these figures are not met.

Such criticism is heavy in the satirical show Les Guignols de l'info, broadcast on rival private network Canal Plus. However, TF1 now competes in this category with M6, which was initially a generalist channel focusing on musical programmes, but now has programming more resembling TF1 (notably, reality shows that TF1 started running just after M6 introduced them).

[edit] Programmes

  • French TV Shows: Julie Lescaut ; Navarro ; Joséphine, ange gardien ; Une femme d'honneur ; Femmes de Loi ; Commissaire Cordier ; Sous le soleil ; Sœur Thérèse.com ; Une famille formidable ; R.I.S police scientifique (French CSI version) ; Le grand frère ; Diane, femme flic ; Commissaire Valence ; Commissaire Moulin , Alice Nevers, Le juge est une femme , Section de Recherche; Père et Maire; Camping Paradis, Mystères...
  • These French TV Shows were shown on TF1 : Les Cordier, juge et flic ; Extrême limite ; La Vie devant nous.
  • Reality Shows: Koh Lanta (French "Survivor") ; Star Academy (French "The One: Making a Music Star" and " Fame Academy" ) ; L'île de la Tentation (French "Temptation Island") and Secret Story (French "Big Brother").
  • These Reality Shows were shown on TF1: Fear Factor (French version) ; Je suis une célébrité, sortez-moi de là! (French "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!") ; La Ferme des Célébrités (French "The Farm" or "Celebrity Farm") ; Greg le Millionaire (French "Joe Millionaire") ; Marjolaine et les Millionnaires ; Nice People ; 1ère Compagnie (French "Celebrity Bootcamp")  ; Mon Incroyable Fiancé (French "My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiancé") ; Queer : Cinq Experts dans le Vent (French "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy") and Le Royaume (French "The Riket").
  • Game Shows: Qui veut gagner des millions? (French "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?") ; Le Maillon Faible (French "The Weakest Link") ; À Prendre ou À Laisser (French "Deal or No Deal") ; Crésus; La roue de la fortune (French "The wheel of fortune").

In 2005, TF1 launced TF1Vision, a video on demand service.

[edit] References

  1. ^ Patrick Le Lay, in Les dirigeants français et le changement, 2004, ISBN 2-914119-33-X. French quote: « Il y a beaucoup de façons de parler de la télévision, mais dans une perspective business, soyons réaliste: à la base, le métier de TF1, c'est d'aider Coca-Cola, par exemple, à vendre son produit. Ce que nous vendons à Coca-Cola, c'est du temps de cerveau humain disponible. Rien n’est plus difficile que d’obtenir cette disponibilité. C’est là que se trouve le changement permanent. Il faut chercher en permanence les programmes qui marchent, suivre les modes, surfer sur les tendances, dans un contexte où l’information s’accélère, se multiplie et se banalise.

[edit] External links

v • d • e
Flag of France French television stations
Terrestrial analogue TF1 • France 2 • France 3 • Canal + • France 5 • M6 • Arte
Television
Terrestrial digital (free) Direct 8 • W9 • TMC • NT1 • NRJ 12 • La Chaîne parlementaire • France 4 • BFM TV • I>Télé • Virgin 17 • Gulli • France Ô
Terrestrial digital (pay) TPS Star • Paris Première • Canal+ Sport • Canal+ Cinéma • AB1 • Planète • TF6 • Canal J • LCI • Eurosport
Others France 24 • MCM • Mezzo • TPS Foot • 13ème Rue • France Ô • Planète • RTL9 • Comédie!
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Media holding companies France Télévisions • TF1 Group • Métropole Télévision • Canal+ Group • Lagardère Active • AB Groupe
Retrieved from "http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/TF1"
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