BFM TV
BFM TV is a French news broadcast television and radio network, wholly owned by RMC BFM. The flagship property of the RMC BFM division of CMA CGM, its headquarters are located in Paris.
As the country's most-watched news channel with 10 million daily viewers, BFM TV "boasts a market share in France that is greater than any equivalent news channel around the world". A BBC News commentator considered its economic coverage "clearly pro-business, pro-reform, and anti the old consensus", which is noteworthy because in France, "economic coverage tends to come from the opposite perspective—the state sector and workers taking precedence over private enterprise".
History
BFMTV was launched by the NextRadioTV group as an offshoot of BFM Business, which exclusively focused on business and the economy, on 14 December 2004. BFM is an abbreviation of "Business FM", the original name of BFM Business. Approved by the Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel on 5 May 2005, it began broadcasting on 28 November 2005. Alain Weill became chairman and CEO in 2005.The "small independent news channel" became "one of the most influential voices in French media and politics" by distinguishing itself with "a reactive, live format—and dumping the French habit of endless pre-recorded talk". Ratings continuously increased, and it became the most-watched French news channel in June 2008. With a 1.8 national share, it greatly exceeds its first competitor, I-Télé. As its ratings and advertising revenues increased, the budget of the network peaked at €50 million in 2011, compared to €15 million in 2006.
Spin-off networks
BFM Sport
Launched on 7 June 2016, BFM Sport was the second all-news and sports TV channel in France after Infosport+, sister channel of Canal+. The channel features an 8-minute update every 30 minutes. It also carries 3 magazines: After Foot, Le Grand Week-end Sport and 60 Minutes Sport.BFM Paris
Launched on 7 November 2016, BFM Paris is mainly inspired by New York's News 12. Its main programming consists of local news updates, traffic, weather, sports, and cultural information. There's a live morning show seven days a week and an evening show on weeknights.Programming history
1st version (28 November 20058 May 2006)
The channel's first schedule version focused on the morning and evening dayparts.Weekdays, from 6am to 9:30am, during BFM Matin, the channel ran a 30-minute block with Stéphanie de Muru on the 15-minute general news and Thomas Misrachi on the 15-minute financial news. This block kept running throughout the day with images-only newscasts. Between 6pm and 11:30pm, during BFM Soir, BFMTV carried a newscast every half-hour with Ruth Elkrief, Olivier Mazerolle, Florence Duprat and Jean-Alexandre Baril.
Every evening at 8:30, Mazerolle presented Mazerolle Direct, featuring an interview with one or two guests. The show was replayed two hours later.
Between 11:30pm and 6am, there was nothing live except the 11pm newscast in a looped format.
At the weekend, BFMTV ran image-only newscasts every 15 minutes.
2nd version (9 May 20063 June 2007)
This version was launched at 6p.m. on 9 May 2006. The channel now put anchors in the set news blocks, especially during BFM Soir, including: Thomas Misrachi, Ruth Elkrief, Olivier Mazerolle, Florence Duprat and Thomas Sotto.Between BFM Matin and BFM Soir, BFMTV now had a branded block, titled BFM Non-Stop, with an updated news flash every 15 minutes and continuous loop of weather reports in-between, with: Guillaume Vanhems, Jean-Alexandre Baril and Stéphanie De Muru. However, the images-only weekend news reports were kept, except for the new block from 6 to 9p.m. by Thomas Sotto.
During the 2007 presidential election, Mazerolle changed his show's name from Mazerolle Direct to Journal de Campagne, still broadcast at the same time. Also, at the same time, a new weekday political show was run on BFM TV, Bourdin 2007, with Jean-Jacques Bourdin, from 8:30 and 9a.m., simulcast from RMC. From November 2006, Ruth Elkrief started co-anchoring with Hedwige Chevrillon on BFM Business for the new show, Le Duo BFM, which simulcast at 12:30p.m. on both channels. BFM TV re-ran this show at 9:30p.m. In January 2008, the show was replaced by La Tribune BFM, which was a Sunday evening interview.
In January 2007, Elkrief also presented Élysee 2007, a nightly political debate from 7 to 8pm. Also, at the same time, BFM Non-Stop changed presenters: Guillaume Vanhems was no longer on air, Jean-Alexandre Baril now presented the morning news, Stéphanie de Muru was still on the afternoon. From 6 to 7p.m. and 8 to 8:30p.m., Nathalie Levy presented news reports with Gilane Barret and Julian Bugier.
3rd version (4 June 200718 May 2008)
In this time, the channel relaunched its infographics, schedule and slogan. It also received 50 more journalists and presenters.Christophe Delay, who had formerly anchored from 7 to 8am on Europe 1, replaced Thomas Misrachi, presenting alongside Karine de Menonville on the first part of Première edition. Florence Duprat and Thomas Misrachi now presented the new midday newsshow. Weekday evening had a new program, QG de l'info, from 6 to 7p.m., with Ronald Guintrange and Thomas Sotto. Marc Autheman and Valérie Béranger now presented the weekend evening news from 6 to 9pm, known as Info 360 le week-end. From 6am to 6p.m., BFM TV still kept its image-only reports. Starting 27 August 2007, Bourdin 2007 was renamed as Bourdin Direct. Also, Marc Autheman and Stéphanie de Muru now presented the weekend evening news, renamed as Week-End 360. Thomas Sotto had a new QG de l'info right after this show.
In February 2008, the channel set up a new weekend schedule, affecting only the 6pmmidnight slot, with four changes:
- Marc Autherman became news presenter for 20H Week-end and QG de l'info from 6 to 7pm each Saturday.
- Rachid M'Barki became news presenter for 19H Week-end and QG de l'info from 9 to 10pm each weekend.
- Gilane Barret, who had been anchoring BFM Non-Stop from 9pm to midnight each weekend since 2007, now joined Stéphanie de Muru for Week-end 360 from 10pm to midnight.
- Ruth Elkrief and Olivier Mazerolle stopped being on air each Friday.
4th version (19 May 2008 – Present)
In this new schedule, BFMTV now branded themselves as "première chaine d'info en France", with continuous live broadcasting. The continuous news block BFM Non-Stop now has two journalists each timeslot, instead of one, including: Diane Gouffrant and Jean-Alexandre Baril, Stéphanie de Muru and Gilane Barret/Rachid M'Barki. From May to June 2008, Thomas Sotto anchored Partageons nos idées each Saturday at 8:50pm.
Continuous changes
Starting from 2008, BFMTV has been updating its schedule every September, with the announcement that it would broadcast "all live" from 6am to midnight. Here are some changes:September 2008
Alain Marschall and Olivier Truchot, who had been hosting Les Grandes Gueules from 11am to 2pm on RMC since 2004, took over Ruth Elkrief's slot with an interactive program offering viewers a chance to comment on current events. Ruth Elkrief started anchoring Midi Ruth Elkrief from noon to 2pm each weekday. BFM Non-Stop now was presented by: Jean-Alexandre Baril and Roselyne Dubois from 9am to noon, Stéphanie de Muru and Gilane Barret from 2pm to 3pm, then Florence Duprat and Thomas Misrachi from 3pm to 6pm.While presenting La Tribune BFM-Dailymotion from 7 to 8pm each Sunday, Olivier Mazerolle became political editor and let Thomas Sotto anchor the 8pm newscast. Candice Mahout, who was a chronicler in Première edition, presented Showtime from 8:30 to 9pm, a current affairs magazine.
Finally, Karl Zéro anchored Karl Zéro sur BFM TV at 10:10pm, an interview with 1 or 2 guests inspired by CNN's Larry King. Info 360, presented by Ronald Guintrange and Nathalie Levy, was broadcast weekdays from 9 to 10pm, then 11pm to midnight.
Each weekend, Marc Autheman anchored QG de l'info from 6 to 7pm and from 8 to 9pm, followed by the 9pmmidnight Week-end 360 with Rachid M'Barki and Diane Gouffrant.
In November 2008, Marc Menant joined BFMTV for Partageons nos idées from 7 to 8pm. 6 versions of this show were presented by Thomas Sotto until summer 2008.
In January 2009, the 8pm edition of QG de l'info and Showtime were combined to Le 20H with Thomas Sotto. Stéphanie Soumier now presented Partageons nos idées.
In July 2009, Info 360 saw two changes: Nathalie Levy, the co-presenter, joined France 5; and Julian Bugier, the business presenter, joined i-Télé, BFMTV's main competitor.
September 2009
Karine de Menonville started presenting Info 360 with Ronald Guintrange.Graziella Rodriguez anchored Première edition with Christophe Delay.
Karl Zéro presented the live interview Sarko Info each weeknight at 8:35pm.
From 7 to 8pm, the interactive show with Alain Marschall and Olivier Truchot was re-introduced, now with Louise Ekland.
In November 2009, BFMTV launched its new website, bfmtv.com, which now allowed users to watch a selection of programs, instead of just watching live.
In January 2010, BFM TV slightly changed its afternoon and early evening schedule on weekdays. Florence Duprat and Thomas Misrachi now presented BFM Non-Stop from 2 to 5pm, followed by the new "debate for highlight of the day" BFM Story from 5 to 6pm with Alain Marschall and Olivier Truchot. Then, from 6 to 8:30pm, Thomas Sotto presented QG de l'info alongside Pauline Revenaz. Louise Ekland continued her cultural magazine at 7:40pm.
In March 2010, BFMTV started showing various chronicles on its 6am6pm image-only weekend block, press reviews in the morning for example.
At the end of April 2010, several presenters exchanged shifts with each other. Ronald Guintrange joined BFM Non-Stop in the morning with Roselyne Dubois, replacing Jean-Alexandre Baril who took over BFM Non-Stop in the afternoon with Florence Duprat. Thomas Misrachi, who had presented during the afternoon until then, joined Info 360 with Stéphanie de Muru for Karine de Ménonville, who was on maternity leave until June 2010. Pascale de La Tour du Pin and Graziella Rodriguès changed roles: the former joined Première édition with Christophe Delay, the latter joined QG de l'info.
Throughout the 2010 World Cup, the channel broadcast many World Cup-related magazines throughout the day. During the week before the World Cup started, Thomas Sotto presented QG de l'info live from South Africa. Rolland Courbis, a consultant on Radio RMC, joined BFM TV, where he presented his morning appointment, Le Tackle de Courbis, and at 6:25pm and 7:25pm, Rolland Courbis participated in Coup franc, a program presented by Gilbert Brisbois, journalist-anchor at RMC Sport. Two small parts of the After Foot program, presented by the trio Gilbert Brisbois, Rolland Courbis and Daniel Riolo on RMC, were broadcast simultaneously on BFMTV, every night from 10:45 to 11pm and from 11:40pm to midnight.