France 24 | Press | France 24

Arabic, the Internet and mobiles in the spotlight for the 1st anniversary of FRANCE 24

Paris, 5th December 2007

• On December 6, FRANCE 24 will broadcast in Arabic for 24 hours.

• A world première: FRANCE 24 via mobile telephone.

• FRANCE 24 creates a new site “The Observers – Les Observateurs” dedicated to internet users’ international news items.

Since its creation on December 6, 2006, FRANCE 24 has revolutionized the international audiovisual landscape, by taking two strategic decisions:

- To launch France 24 in a 24-hour worldwide streaming exclusive on the internet, before even broadcasting on television screens.

- To launch France24.com simultaneously in its three versions (French, English and Arabic).

A few months later, Arabic, already present on the internet, appeared on the television channel: France 24 was positioning itself as a genuine challenger of the historic channels such as CNN, the BBC or Al Jazeera, offering a model of modernity, convergence and accessibility.

As an influential channel, France 24 was the first to lay claim to a specific view of world news: a French view. Thanks to its honest and impartial journalistic approach, with a flavor of France, its country of origin, it was able to make a mark among its viewers, internet users and professional people throughout the world.

12 months after its launch, the results are there to prove it:

- France 24 is an international brand awareness of which ranges from 25% to 85% depending on the geographical area

- France 24 is an attractive and credible brand on television and on the Internet:
· The television channel achieved a weekly market share of 9% in Europe as soon as it was launched, which is double Al Jazeera’s figure (4%) and one third that of BBC World (27%) – Source EOLS April/July 2007.
· On the internet, France 24.com attracts 4,288,000 individual visitors, coming top among international news sites in Germany, Italy, Spain and France. It is an internationally recognized site, with 84% of its audience outside France. Source Nielsen NetRatings September 2007.

- France 24 is a strong brand and a partner of the largest names in international news (MSN, Yahoo, Google, Dailymotion, YouTube, International Herald Tribune, L’Express, etc.)

- France 24 is a recognized brand (Best channel of the year Hot Bird Awards; Best launch Grand Prix des médias CB News; International press prize Foreign press association in Paris; Most creative Marketing Concept AIB Media Excellence Awards; Best newsreader Presspace; Epica d’Or and Lion d’Argent for its advertising campaigns; and finally Official Honoree at theWebby awards, one of the more prestigious awards in the world for the Internet.)

For its first anniversary, the leading French international news channel has decided to create an event around its two major development strategies: broadcasting in Arabic, and mobility.

The Arabic channel

On its first anniversary on December 6, France 24 will broadcast 24 hours of programs in Arabic for the first time, on an exceptional basis.
This will demonstrate France 24’s intention to give equal prominence to the different language versions, but it will also signal its intention to strengthen its presence in strategic geographical areas where the majority of the population only speaks Arabic.

This takes place at the very time when the traditional audience of other French channels has decreased, while in seven months 6 channels have launched in Arabic, with the BBC World preparing to do the same.

The Internet and mobile telephones

Now, FRANCE 24 is going to go even further with the launch of another world première: the possibility of receiving the channel in its three languages, directly on mobile phones, on demand.

FRANCE 24’s latest bulletins, latest weather forecasts, latest economic reports and major interviews will now be accessible throughout the world on all telephones, in video or audio mode depending on the model.
A mobile, trilingual website, updated 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, will also be accessible via the URL: mobile.france24.com.

In another mobile development, the channel has also concluded a worldwide agreement with the company Nokia, the leading mobile telephone company, to offer its main broadcasts via video on demand on the Finnish manufacturer’s new generation of mobiles.

Finally, France 24 will put a new site online called “The Observers” or “Les Observateurs” at the following address: http://observers.france24.com.

The objective is to increase the coverage of international news by the direct testimony of Observateurs, that is to say those who are at the heart of the event in the four corners of the globe.

FRANCE 24’s journalists will select video, text or photo content generated by internet users throughout the world. They will be assisted by regional editors in order to select the most relevant contributions and to verify the authenticity of the content.

These observers may be contacted and interact live on the site with internet users on the subject of a news item or subject that is important to them.

“For its first anniversary, nothing could be better than to develop France 24 in these two directions: first, to enable Arabic speakers to be given parity with English and French speakers. We are attached to this part of the world and wanted to show our recognition in this way. Secondly, to focus on the fantastic development of technology and on Internet expertise in order to strengthen the modern and interactive side of France 24. However, after one year, what I am most proud of is the amazing performance of the men and women of France 24. We owe our success to them,” said Alain de Pouzilhac, FRANCE 24 Chief Executive Officer.

About FRANCE 24 :
FRANCE 24 is the first French international news channel that offers a French perspective and sensibility on world events. France 24 broadcasts on a 24/7 basis on three channels, in French, English and Arabic, in Europe, the Middle East, Africa and on the east coast of the United States. FRANCE 24 can be accessed by all media platforms: cable, satellite and DSL. The website www.france24.com is available in 3 languages (English, French, and Arabic).

FRANCE 24 Contacts:
Nathalie Lenfant - Tél. : +33 (0)1 73 01 24 11 – nlenfant@FRANCE24.com
Damien Amadou - Tél. : +33 (0)1 73 01 24 31 – damadou@FRANCE24.com