The Arabic-language channel FRANCE 24 passed to 24h daily broadcast from Tuesday, October 12th, at noon (Paris time).
Less than four years after its launch in December 2006, FRANCE 24 is the first French channel to provide a channel in Arabic entirely dedicated to international news. From a broadcast of four hours per day since April 2nd, 2007, the chain had grown to 10 hours per day in April 2009.
Faithful to its original mission, FRANCE 24 will propose a French perspective of the world's events which is to recognize the diversity of the world through its opinions, its religions and to grant an important place to culture by focusing on debates and confrontation of ideas.
Primarily intended for Arabic-speaking viewers of the Middle East and of North Africa, the chain will also be widely broadcasted in France, in Europe and in Africa through Hot Bird, Arabsat and Nilesat satellites.
Since its launch, FRANCE 24 has continued to expand its market shares among opinion leaders. With 20 millions viewers per week in Europe / Middle East / Africa (EMEA), FRANCE 24 is already attracting 2.6 million opinion leaders, including 1.6 million in North Africa and 1 million in the Middle East. According to a TNS-Sofres study in October 2009, 80% of the opinion leaders in the Middle East were in favor of a 24H Arabic broadcast on FRANCE 24. Based on the studies carried out, the percentage of opinion leaders in the Middle East who watch FRANCE 24 reaches 17%, that is 50% more than the average in other parts of the world.
As for the other two channels of the chain, in French and English, the Arabic-language channel will continue to rely on the founding pillars of the editorial of FRANCE 24: news, economy, culture, sports, weather.
In its 24/7 format, the Arabic channel has been designed around a grid similar to the French and English grids, based largely on the prime-time evening slice (20h - 1h) with a regular programming on the weekend , as Saturday and Sunday are working days in many Arab countries.
The strengths of this grid will revolve around the following:
- Interactivity and proximity
In the evening, on the show Live from Paris or the new program, Politics, questions from viewers on Facebook will be taken into account.
The Voices of the Net program will leave the word to young people who every day are circumventing the state censorship through the Internet and social networks.
Similarly, the program The Observers, from the participatory site of the same name, will be broadcasted on a weekly basis.
- A new look at economic issues
An innovation: the program Beyond Business will make its debut on the Arabic channel offering a decryption of the states / enterprises relations and strategic issues raised by hyper-competition. The new grid includes also market letters at a more regular rate during the day and a weekly business program.
Sixty journalists from all nationalities in the Arab world will work alongside with English and French editors of the chain, under the responsibility of Nahida NAKAD, Managing Editor of the Arabic cluster.
At the launch of the 24-hour Arabic language FRANCE 24, Alain de Pouzilhac, CEO of the chain and Christine Ockrent, deputy general manager, will be accompanied by representatives of the editorial board in Dubai, in Algiers, in Tunis , in Cairo, in Amman and in Beirut between 10 and 18 October, in order to present new programs of the channel.
-Ends-
About FRANCE 24 (www.france24.com):
FRANCE 24 is the first continuous news channel that reports international news with a French perspective and sensibility. It emits 7 days 7, 24 hours 24 on 3 channels in French, English and Arabic, in Europe, the Middle East, Africa, Asia and America. FRANCE 24 is distributed via cable, satellite, ADSL platforms and on the mobile. The website www.france24.com is available in 3 languages (English, French, Arabic).
Contacts FRANCE 24 :
Nathalie Lenfant
Tél : 00 33 1 73 01 24 11
nlenfant@france24.com
Damien Amadou
Tél : 00 33 1 73 01 24 31
damadou@france24.com Listen
© Press Release 2010
