France 24 to launch its Spanish channel in 2017

François Hollande, the President of the French Republic announced France’s commitment to this launch during his state visit to Argentina on Wednesday 24th February 2016, in the presence of Mauricio Macri, President of the Argentine Nation. France 24, which already broadcasts on five continents in French, English and Arabic, will thus be able to address Latin American viewers more extensively. The latter are Francophile and interested in France, its world view, culture, values and way of life.

This launch will mark the culmination of a project initiated by Chairwoman and CEO of France Médias Monde (RFI, France 24, Monte Carlo Doualiya) Marie-Christine Saragosse, when she was appointed by the French government, to enable France 24 to broadcast in a language spoken by the vast majority of the population of an entire continent (in Brazil, Spanish is the second language). Spanish is spoken by some 500 million people and is also one of the most used globally on the internet and on social media.

France 24 will broadcast six hours a day of programmes for Latin America audiences, supplemented by its programs in French. The editorial offer in Spanish will provide France 24’s hallmark French perspective on international news, with a large focus on regional issues. This closeness to the continent and openness to the world will be reflected in a high level of responsiveness through news bulletins on the hour and half-hour. The French, English and Arabic channels’ major magazines will also be broadcast for Spanish-speaking viewers to provide perspective and analysis. France 24 in Spanish will be available in digital environments (website, mobile applications, social networks, etc.) for greater accessibility and to encourage interaction with its audiences.

The development of France 24 in Spanish is based on an innovative organisational structure which capitalizes on France Médias Monde group’s skills and know-how in television, radio and digital environments. The channel will have a multinational editorial team based in Latin America, supported by a large network of correspondents across the continent. The editorial team will work closely with a based team Paris, which will be responsible for French and international content, and will benefit from the expertise of RFI’s Spanish editorial team, which is a real asset in this project.

For its broadcasts, France 24’s Spanish channel will benefit from distribution agreements that have already been signed in Latin America for the French and English channels. France 24’s new offering will allow it to develop its presence with the support of RFI’s Spanish language FM network and 400 partner radio stations in the region.

 

About France 24, a France Médias Monde channel
France 24, the international news channel, broadcasts 24/7 to 300 million homes around the world in French, Arabic and English. The three channels have a combined weekly viewership of 50 million viewers (measured in 64 of the 180 countries where the channel is broadcast). From its newsroom in Paris, France 24 gives a French perspective on global affairs through a network of 142 correspondent bureaus located in nearly every country. It is available via cable, satellite, DTT, ADSL, on mobile phones, tablets and connected TVs, as well as on YouTube in three languages. Every month, France 24’s new media platforms attract 16.3 million visits, 36.5 million video views (2015 average) and 21.4 million followers on social media