TF1 is a private French TV network, controlled by the Bouygues group. 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. TF1 is the crown jewel of the TF1 group of mass media companies, which notably comprizes Eurosport, the largest European sports network. The Office de Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (ORTF) was the national agency charged, between 1964 and 1974, with providing public radio and television in France. ... The Bouygues group is a French industrial group founded in 1952 by Francis Bouygues and since 1989 led by his son Martin Bouygues. ... The Bouygues group is a French industrial group founded in 1952 by Francis Bouygues and since 1989 led by his son Martin Bouygues. ... Mass media is the term used to denote, as a class, that section of the media specifically conceived and designed to reach a very large audience (typically at least as large as the whole population of a nation state). ... Eurosport is the largest European sports satellite and cable network. ...

TF1 originally stood for Télévision Française 1 (French television 1) but the abbreviation is no more expanded today, especially since the 1987 privatization and since this would introduce a confusion with France Télévisions. France Télévisions is the French public national television broadcaster. ...

Criticism

Critics of TF1 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 favor of incumbent president Jacques Chirac, who campaigned on law-strengthening proposals. In politics, right-wing, the political right, or simply the right, are terms which refer, with no particular precision, to the segment of the political spectrum in opposition to left-wing politics. ... A politician is an individual involved in politics. ... Edouard Balladur, French statesman Édouard Balladur (born May 2, 1929) is a French politician. ... 1995 was a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... The President of France, known officially as the President of the Republic (Président de la République in French), is Frances elected Head of State. ... 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Jacques René Chirac (born 29 November 1932) is a French politician. ...

They also contend that TF1's news coverage focusses on anecdotes and on sensationalism, and that their programming often deserves the trash TV name. Getting a 40% market share on every program is TF1's primary objective, dictated by the necessity of justifying advertising prices, so shows which fail this benchmark significantly get off air very quickly. An anecdote is a short tale told about an interesting, amusing, or biographical incident. ... Sensationalism is a manner of being extremely controversial, loud, attention-grabbing, or otherwise sensationalistic. ...

Such criticism is heavy in the satirical show Les Guignols de l'Info, broadcast on rival private network Canal Plus. PPD (modeled on Patrick Poivre dArvor) is the resident news anchor of the guignols. ... Canal Plus Group (Canal+) is a French film and television studio and distributor. ...

Trivia

On Friday, November 19, 2004, Béatrice Schönberg, a news anchor of the public France 2 network had a tongue slippage when relating a major problem which occurred on the Bouygues Télécom cellular network. She said Bouygues télé conne, before confusingly correcting herself; this translates into moronic Bouygues télévision. November 19 is the 323rd day of the year (324th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar. ... 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A news anchor (US and CA) or newsreader (UK, AU and SL) (occasionally newscaster) is a person that works in television or radio that hosts a regular news program or provides occasional on air news updates. ...

Note

1 Source: Médiamétrie

Programs

• 1, rue Sesame
• La Ferme Célébrités

1, rue Sesame is a French childrens television series based on the American classic Sesame Street. ... La Ferme Célébrités is TF1s version of the international tv format The Farm, produced in France by Endemol. ...

External links

TF1's website (http://www.tf1.fr)