TF1

"for the motorway in Tenerife, Spain, see TF1 Motorway, for the WWI aircraft, Sopwith Camel#(Trench Fighter) T.F.1".-----TF1 is a private French TV channel, controlled by TF1 Group, whose major share-holder is Bouygues. 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. It is a part of the TF1 Group of mass media companies, which also includes Eurosport, the largest European sports network.

Together with France Télévisions, TF1 co-manages the international French news channel France 24.

TF1 originally stood for "Télévision Française 1" ("French Television 1") but since its 1987 privatisation, the abbreviation is no longer expanded, since this would introduce a confusion with France Télévisions.

Criticism

TF1 is criticized for pandering to the "lowest common denominator": emphasis on non-informative "news", anecdotes, TV games and shows; some calling it "Trash TV".In 2004 Patrick Le Lay, CEO of TF1 made the following statement:

"There are many ways to speak about TV, but in a business perspective, let's be realistic: at the basis, TF1's job is helping Coca-Cola, for example, to sell its product. What we sell to Coca-Cola is available human brain time. Nothing is more difficult than obtaining this availability. This is where permanent change is located. We must always look out for popular programs, follow trends, surf on tendencies, in a context in which information is speeding up, getting manifold and trivialized." [ Patrick Le Lay, in "Les dirigeants français et le changement", 2004, ISBN 2-914119-33-X. French quote: « Il y a beaucoup de façons de parler de la télévision, mais dans une perspective business, soyons réaliste: à la base, le métier de TF1, c'est d'aider Coca-Cola, par exemple, à vendre son produit. Ce que nous vendons à Coca-Cola, c'est du temps de cerveau humain disponible. Rien n’est plus difficile que d’obtenir cette disponibilité. C’est là que se trouve le changement permanent. Il faut chercher en permanence les programmes qui marchent, suivre les modes, surfer sur les tendances, dans un contexte où l’information s’accélère, se multiplie et se banalise. ]

Critics of TF1 also 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 favour of former French president Jacques Chirac, who campaigned on law-strengthening proposals. Immigration and violence are still amalgamated in most of the channel's news programmes. Heads and famous journalists of TF1 are close friends to some of the most powerful politicians in France. TF1 allegedly gives them a hand before elections — Nicolas Sarkozy (current president of France) is a frequent guest of the channel — and expects from them a more liberal legislation on media matters, if not a bonus for Bouygues when a public contract must be signed.

In addition, it is occasionally alleged that news reports from TF1 tend to ignore issues yielding a bad light on their parent group (Bouygues), while stressing problems of competitors (such as VINCI).

As of 2005/2006, average ratings range from 30-35%. Programs shown on the network are more likely to be taken off the air if these figures are not met.

Such criticism is heavy in the satirical show "Les Guignols de l'info", broadcast on rival private network Canal Plus. However, TF1 now competes in this category with M6, which was initially a generalist channel focusing on musical programmes, but now has programming more resembling TF1 (notably, reality shows that TF1 started running just after M6 introduced them).

Programmes

* French TV Shows: Julie Lescaut ; Navarro ; Joséphine, ange gardien ; Une femme d'honneur ; Femmes de Loi ; Commissaire Cordier ; Sous le soleil ; Sœur Thérèse.com ; Une famille formidable ; R.I.S police scientifique (French version) ; Le grand frère ; Diane, femme flic ; Commissaire Valence ; Commissaire Moulin , Alice Nevers, Le juge est une femme , Section de Recherche; Père et Maire; Camping Paradis, Mystères...

* These French TV Shows were shown on TF1 : Les Cordier, juge et flic ; Extrême limite ; La Vie devant nous.

* American TV Shows (in French): "(Les experts)" ; "(Les experts: Miami)" ; "(Les experts: Manhattan)" ; Lost "(Lost, les disparus)" ; Grey's Anatomy ; Heroes ; Law & Order "(New York District)" ; "(New York section criminelle)" ; "(New York unité spéciale)" ; House "(Dr [H] ouse)" ; Boston Legal "(Boston justice)" ; Ugly Betty ; Ghost Whisperer "(Mélinda entre deux mondes)" ; Criminal Minds "(Esprits criminels)" ; Monk ; One Tree Hill "(Les frères Scott)", Gossip Girl and The Young and the Restless "(Les feux de l'amour)".

* These American TV Shows were shown on TF1: Las Vegas ; Will & Grace ; 7th Heaven "(7 à la maison)"; Crossing Jordan "(Preuve à l'appui)" ; Close to Home "(Close to Home: juste cause)" ; What About Brian ; Yes, Dear "(Oui chérie!)" ; Joan of Arcadia "(Le monde de Joan)" ; American Dreams "(Mes plus belles années)"; Dawson's Creek "(Dawson)" ; Felicity ; Baywatch "(Alerte à Malibu)" ; Angel ; Beverly Hills 90210 "(Beverly Hills)" ; Melrose Place ; Silk Stalkings "(Les dessous de Palm Beach)" ; MacGyver ; Walker, Texas Ranger ; Mad About You "(Dingue de toi)" ; Providence ; Strong Medicine "(La vie avant tout)" ; "(Hercule)" ; "(Xena, la guerrière)" ; The Invisible Man "(L'homme invisible)" ; Wild Card "(Méthode Zoé)" ; Sunset Beach ; "(New York cour de justice)" ; Threat Matrix "(Agence Matrix)" ; L.A. Dragnet "(Dragnet)" ; Surface ; Karen Sisco ; North Shore "(North Shore: hôtel du Pacifique)" ; Point Pleasant "(Point Pleasant, entre le bien et le mal)" ; Conviction ; Tarzan "(Jane et Tarzan)" ; The Mountain "(La famille Carver)" ; "(FBI family)" ; General Hospital "(Alliances & trahisons)" ; Passions ; One Life to Live "(On ne vit au'une fois)" ; All My Children "(La force du destin)" ; Guiding Light "(Haine et passions)" ; Search for Tomorrow "(C'est déjà demain)" ; Parker Lewis Can't Lose "(Parker Lewis ne perd jamais)" ; Hunter "(Rick Hunter)" ; Knight Rider "(K 2000)" ; Hart to Hart "(Pour l'amour du risque)" ; Columbo ; Starsky and Hutch "(Starsky et Hutch)" ; Eight is Enough "(Huit, ça suffit !)" ; Knots Landing "(Côte Ouest)" ; Dallas; Santa Barbara ; The A-Team "(Agence tous risques)" and Diff'rent Strokes "(Arnold et Willy)".

* Reality Shows: Koh Lanta "(French "Survivor")" ; Star Academy "(French "The One: Making a Music Star" and " Fame Academy" )" ; L'île de la Tentation "(French "Temptation Island")" and Secret Story "(French "Big Brother" season 5 ans 6)".

* These Reality Shows were shown on TF1: Fear Factor "(French version)" ; Je suis une célébrité, sortez-moi de là! "(French "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here!")" ; La Ferme des Célébrités "(French "The Farm" or "Celebrity Farm")" ; Greg le Millionaire "(French "Joe Millionaire")" ; Marjolaine et les Millionnaires ; Nice People (French Big Brother seaison 3) ; 1ère Compagnie "(French "Celebrity Bootcamp")" ; Mon Incroyable Fiancé "(French "My Big Fat Obnoxious Fiancé")" ; Queer : Cinq Experts dans le Vent "(French "Queer Eye for the Straight Guy")" and Le Royaume "(French "The Riket")".

* Game Shows: Qui veut gagner des millions?" (French "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?")" ; Le Maillon Faible" (French "The Weakest Link")" ; À Prendre ou À Laisser "(French "Deal or No Deal")" ; Crésus; La roue de la fortune ("French "The wheel of fortune").

* Famous historic programs:
** "L'Île aux Enfants"
** "1, rue Sésame" (French Sesame Street)
** "Club Dorothée (With Dragon Ball Z, Knights of the Zodiac, Sailor Moon and other shows)". Replaced with TFOU TV.

* Animated television series: Pokémon ; Dora the Explorer ; Sonic X , among others

In 2005, TF1 launced TF1Vision, a video on demand service.

References

External links

* [http://www.tf1.fr/ Official Site] fr icon
* [http://www.gentv.be/affichage.php?chaine=TF1 TF1 presentation at GenTV.be]