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France 2
France 2 (French: [fʁɑ̃s dø]) is a French free-to-air public television channel. The flagship channel of France Télévisions, it broadcasts generalist programming including news, entertainment (such as dramas, films, and game shows), factual programmes, and sports. It is headquartered alongside its sister networks at France Télévisions' headquarters in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, along the Seine.
The channel began test broadcasts on 10 September 1959 and officially launched on 18 April 1964 as RTF Télévision 2, under the control of Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (RTF). RTF was succeeded by the Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française (ORTF) in 1964. On 6 January 1975, ORTF was dissolved and split into multiple independent organisations under government control, with the channel operating as Antenne 2. In 1992, the channel merged with FR3 under the new organisation France Télévision, and was renamed France 2. In 2000, France 2 and France 3 were merged with the remaining public channels under the present-day France Télévisions.
France 2 is broadcast nationally via TNT digital terrestrial television in high- and ultra-high-definition, while it is also carried by all cable, satellite, and IPTV providers. It is also streamed on France.tv, while some of its programmes are broadcast internationally by TV5Monde.
Test broadcasts began on 10 September 1959. They were transmitted from the Eiffel Tower on channel 12 to broadcast experimental programmes. The channel was scheduled to start on 2 January 1960 on VHF channels 10 and 12. Originally under the ownership of the RTF. However, broadcasts on neighbouring channels led to constant errors, with reception being ruined in one of the two assigned frequencies. This prompted RTF to reserve the UHF band for the service. The channel went on the air for the first time on 18 April 1964 as RTF 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 black & white transmissions and the introduction of colour. The switch to colour occurred at 14:15 CET on 1 October 1967, using the SECAM system. La deuxième chaîne became the first colour television channel in France. TF1 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, 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 (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 (now superseded by France 5) soon became major competitors to the state-owned channels after the state monopoly was lifted. 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.
In 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.
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.
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France 2
France 2 (French: [fʁɑ̃s dø]) is a French free-to-air public television channel. The flagship channel of France Télévisions, it broadcasts generalist programming including news, entertainment (such as dramas, films, and game shows), factual programmes, and sports. It is headquartered alongside its sister networks at France Télévisions' headquarters in the 15th arrondissement of Paris, along the Seine.
The channel began test broadcasts on 10 September 1959 and officially launched on 18 April 1964 as RTF Télévision 2, under the control of Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (RTF). RTF was succeeded by the Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française (ORTF) in 1964. On 6 January 1975, ORTF was dissolved and split into multiple independent organisations under government control, with the channel operating as Antenne 2. In 1992, the channel merged with FR3 under the new organisation France Télévision, and was renamed France 2. In 2000, France 2 and France 3 were merged with the remaining public channels under the present-day France Télévisions.
France 2 is broadcast nationally via TNT digital terrestrial television in high- and ultra-high-definition, while it is also carried by all cable, satellite, and IPTV providers. It is also streamed on France.tv, while some of its programmes are broadcast internationally by TV5Monde.
Test broadcasts began on 10 September 1959. They were transmitted from the Eiffel Tower on channel 12 to broadcast experimental programmes. The channel was scheduled to start on 2 January 1960 on VHF channels 10 and 12. Originally under the ownership of the RTF. However, broadcasts on neighbouring channels led to constant errors, with reception being ruined in one of the two assigned frequencies. This prompted RTF to reserve the UHF band for the service. The channel went on the air for the first time on 18 April 1964 as RTF 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 black & white transmissions and the introduction of colour. The switch to colour occurred at 14:15 CET on 1 October 1967, using the SECAM system. La deuxième chaîne became the first colour television channel in France. TF1 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, 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 (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 (now superseded by France 5) soon became major competitors to the state-owned channels after the state monopoly was lifted. 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.
In 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.
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.