A French parliamentary commission has produced a report on the setting up of a 24-hour international satellite TV channel.
RFI, the French international radio station, reports that the new channel will be called CFI24 – the letters standing for Canal France International – and its initial annual budget will be in the area of 80 to 100 million Euros. All French state radio and TV outlets will be involved in the enterprise, as well as two private ones – TF1 and Canal Plus.
CFI24 will initially broadcast to Europe, Africa and the Middle East in French, English and Arabic,” the radio said, “and in five to seven years’ time the coverage area is expected to be extended to include the USA, South America and Asia, with the range of languages widened to include Spanish, Portuguese, Chinese and others.
The parliamentary commission wants the new channel to be, like Radio France Internationale, neither servile nor hostile. It is not supposed to be the voice of France – which would serve absolutely no purpose – but rather an independent French outlet like RFI.
The satellite cover will be provided by Euronews, TV5 and Media Overseas, the radio said.
Source: BBC Monitoring