Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française
| Company type | State-owned company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting |
| Predecessor | Radiodiffusion Française (RDF) |
| Founded | February 9, 1949 |
| Defunct | June 26, 1964 |
| Fate | Replaced by Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française (ORTF) |
| Headquarters | Paris , France |
Area served | France |
Key people | Wladimir Porché (Director-General, 1949–1957), Gabriel Delaunay (Director-General, 1957–1958), Christian Chavanon (Director-General, 1958–1960), Raoul Ergman (Director-General, 1960–1962), Robert Bordaz (Director-General, 1962–1964) |
| Products | Radio and television broadcasting |
| Owner | French government |
Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (; RTF; translated as "French Radio and Television Broadcasting") was France's official public broadcasting organization, created on 9 February 1949. It succeeded the post-war entity "Radiodiffusion Française" (RDF), which had been established in 1945 to take the place of Radiodiffusion Nationale (RN). RTF remained active until 26 June 1964, when it was succeeded by the Office de Radiodiffusion Télévision Française (ORTF), an organization with reduced direct government control that operated until 1974.
As a state-controlled body, RTF’s financial plans were approved by the French National Assembly and overseen by the Ministry of Information. Any spending or capital projects required authorization from both the Minister of Information and the Minister of Finance.
In a 1964 debate at the National Assembly, then Minister of Information Alain Peyrefitte characterized RTF as "the government in every Frenchman's dining-room" – La RTF, c'est le gouvernement dans la salle à manger de chaque Français.
History
The monopoly on public broadcasting in France began with Radiodiffusion Française (RDF) in 1945. This entity was renamed Radiodiffusion-Télévision Française (RTF) in 1949 and later replaced by ORTF in 1964. Throughout its operation, RTF competed with several "peripheral stations," French-language broadcasters transmitting from neighboring countries aimed at French audiences. These included Radio Monte Carlo (RMC) broadcasting from Monaco, Radio Luxembourg (which later became part of RTL) based in Luxembourg, and Europe 1 transmitting from Germany. Notably, in 1974, RMC was authorized to establish a transmitter within French territory.
Offices
The main administrative center of RTF was situated on avenue de Friedland in Paris's 8th arrondissement, while its television studios and technical operations were housed at 13–15 rue Cognacq-Jay.
Channels
By the early 1960s, RTF managed five radio channels alongside two television networks:
Radio
- France I (which later became France Inter) broadcast on long wave
- France II aired regional content on powerful medium-wave transmitters; it ceased operations on 8 December 1963 and was replaced by Inter Variétés, targeting an older demographic
- France III (later renamed France Culture) transmitted via low-power medium-wave frequencies
- France IV (eventually France Musique) was exclusively available on FM
- France V, originally known as Radio Alger, reverted to this name on 5 July 1962 following Algeria’s independence and its separation from RTF
Television
- La première chaîne ("The First Channel") began black-and-white broadcasts on VHF using the 819 line system starting 25 July 1948; prior to that, transmissions used the 441 lines format until 3 January 1956. Weekly experimental color broadcasts employed the French-developed SECAM standard.
- La deuxième chaîne ("The Second Channel") launched on 21 December 1963 using UHF with a 625-line format initially in black and white; color transmission via SECAM commenced on 1 October 1967.
Regional television
Development of regional television lagged behind that of the United States and United Kingdom. The first regional station, Télé-Lille, began operations on 10 April 1950, offering two hours daily for Lille and its surrounding area. Its principal newscast was titled Images du Nord. Télé-Lille’s signal extended into Belgian provinces, where its audience size was reportedly five times larger than within northern France itself. By February 1952, a coaxial cable link connected Lille to Paris, enabling rebroadcasts of RTF’s primary programming.
To address competition from German broadcasts in Alsace—where residents in Strasbourg could only view events such as Queen Elizabeth II’s coronation via West German television—Télé-Strasbourg commenced broadcasting on 15 October 1953.
Additional regional stations followed: Marseille launched on 20 September 1954; Lyon began on 8 November 1954; Toulouse started in August 1961; Bordeaux opened on 25 January 1962; with most other major cities establishing stations shortly thereafter.
Starting in late 1963, regional programming also aired on La deuxième chaîne, utilizing optical standard conversion technology to align with France’s newly defined administrative regions. This regional approach persisted after the introduction of La troisième chaîne under ORTF on 31 December 1972, with all three networks featuring regional news produced by multiple centers as required.
Directors
The Minister of Information was responsible for appointing the RTF's directors.
Directors-general:
- Wladimir Porché: 9 February 1949 – 1 February 1957
- Gabriel Delaunay: 1 February 1957 – July 1958
- Christian Chavanon: July 1958 – 21 March 1960
- Raoul Ergman: 21 March 1960 – February 1962
- Robert Bordaz: February 1962 – 23 July 1964
Assistant directors-general:
- Raymond Janot: 21 March 1960 – February 1962
Television programme directors:
- Jean Luc: April 1949 – February 1951
- Jean Arnaud: February 1951 – June 1952
- Jean d'Arcy: June 1952 – October 1959
- Albert Ollivier: October 1959 – 23 July 1964
News directors:
- Louis Terrenoire: July – November 1958
- Albert Ollivier: November 1958 – June 1961
- André-Marie Gérard: June 1961 – April 1963
Television news director:
- Raymond Marcillac: from April 1963
Sports director:
- Raymond Marcillac: beginning September 1958