BFM TV (pronounced [beɛfɛm teve], stylized as BFMTV) 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".
Contents
History
BFMTV was launched by the NextRadioTV group (now RMC BFM) 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 (CSA) 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 (as of mid-2012), it greatly exceeds its first competitor, I-Télé (0.7 national share). 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 (with the loop all night long). It also carries 3 magazines: After Foot (daily 10 pm – midnight), Le Grand Week-end Sport (weekends 9 am – noon) and 60 Minutes Sport (Sunday–Friday 7 – 8 pm).
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 2005 – 8 May 2006)
The channel's first schedule version focused on the morning and evening dayparts.
Weekdays, from 6 am to 9:30 am, 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 (French: JT tout en image). Between 6 pm and 11:30 pm, during BFM Soir, BFMTV carried a newscast every half-hour with Ruth Elkrief (6 pm/7 pm), Olivier Mazerolle (8 pm), Florence Duprat (7:30 pm/9 pm/11 pm) and Jean-Alexandre Baril (6:30 pm/9 pm/10 pm).
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 11:30 pm and 6 am, there was nothing live except the 11 pm newscast in a looped format.
At the weekend, BFMTV ran image-only newscasts every 15 minutes (except at 7 pm and 8 pm, when Guillaume Vanhems anchored half-hour news reports).
2nd version (9 May 2006 – 3 June 2007)
This version was launched at 6 p.m. on 9 May 2006. The channel now put anchors in the set news blocks, especially during BFM Soir, including: Thomas Misrachi (6 – 9:30 a.m.), Ruth Elkrief (6 – 8 p.m.), Olivier Mazerolle (8 – 9 p.m.), Florence Duprat (9 p.m. – midnight) and Thomas Sotto (weekends 6 – 9 p.m.).
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 (9:30 a.m. – 1 p.m.), Jean-Alexandre Baril (1 – 4:30 p.m.) and Stéphanie De Muru (4:30 – 6 p.m.). However, the images-only weekend news reports were kept, except for the new block from 6 to 9 p.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 (8:30 p.m.). 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 9 a.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 12:30 p.m. on both channels. BFM TV re-ran this show at 9:30 p.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 8 pm. 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 7 p.m. and 8 to 8:30 p.m., Nathalie Levy presented news reports with Gilane Barret (general news) and Julian Bugier (business).
3rd version (4 June 2007 – 18 May 2008)
In this time, the channel relaunched its infographics (graphics, music, 3D images), schedule and slogan ("Live et Direct" replaced "La nouvelle chaine d'info"). It also received 50 more journalists and presenters.
Christophe Delay, who had formerly anchored from 7 to 8 am on Europe 1, replaced Thomas Misrachi, presenting alongside Karine de Menonville on the first part of Première edition (6 – 8:30 a.m.). Florence Duprat and Thomas Misrachi now presented the new midday newsshow. Weekday evening had a new program, QG de l'info, from 6 to 7 p.m., with Ronald Guintrange and Thomas Sotto. Marc Autheman and Valérie Béranger now presented the weekend evening news from 6 to 9 pm, known as Info 360 le week-end. From 6 am to 6 p.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 6 pm – midnight slot, with four changes:
Marc Autherman became news presenter for 20H Week-end and QG de l'info from 6 to 7 pm each Saturday.
Rachid M'Barki became news presenter for 19H Week-end and QG de l'info from 9 to 10 pm each weekend.
Gilane Barret, who had been anchoring BFM Non-Stop from 9 pm to midnight each weekend since 2007, now joined Stéphanie de Muru for Week-end 360 from 10 pm to midnight.
Ruth Elkrief and Olivier Mazerolle stopped being on air each Friday.
4th version (19 May 2008 – Present)
In January 2008 BFMTV announced that the schedule would change somewhere around March and April, before postponing the change until 19 May 2008. The channel would update the morning and evening news block, while showing sports in partnership with RMC in the afternoon. From January 2008, the channel started carrying La Tribune BFM, in partnership with Dailymotion, Sundays at 6 pm.
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 (mornings), Stéphanie de Muru and Gilane Barret/Rachid M'Barki (afternoons (already ending 1 hour earlier)). From May to June 2008, Thomas Sotto anchored Partageons nos idées each Saturday at 8:50 pm.
Continuous changes
Starting from 2008, BFMTV has been updating its schedule every September, with the announcement that it would broadcast "all live" from 6 am to midnight. Here are some changes:
Alain Marschall and Olivier Truchot, who had been hosting Les Grandes Gueules from 11 am to 2 pm on RMC since 2004, took over Ruth Elkrief's slot (from 7 pm to 8 pm) with an interactive program offering viewers a chance to comment on current events. Ruth Elkrief started anchoring Midi Ruth Elkrief from noon to 2 pm each weekday. BFM Non-Stop now was presented by: Jean-Alexandre Baril and Roselyne Dubois from 9 am to noon, Stéphanie de Muru and Gilane Barret (newsreader in Midi Ruth Elkrief) from 2 pm to 3 pm, then Florence Duprat and Thomas Misrachi from 3 pm to 6 pm.
While presenting La Tribune BFM-Dailymotion from 7 to 8 pm each Sunday, Olivier Mazerolle became political editor and let Thomas Sotto anchor the 8 pm newscast. Candice Mahout, who was a chronicler in Première edition, presented Showtime from 8:30 to 9 pm, a current affairs magazine.
Finally, Karl Zéro anchored Karl Zéro sur BFM TV at 10:10 pm, 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 10 pm, then 11 pm to midnight.
Each weekend, Marc Autheman anchored QG de l'info from 6 to 7 pm and from 8 to 9 pm, followed by the 9 pm – midnight Week-end 360 with Rachid M'Barki and Diane Gouffrant.
In November 2008, Marc Menant joined BFMTV for Partageons nos idées from 7 to 8 pm. 6 versions of this show were presented by Thomas Sotto until summer 2008.
In January 2009, the 8 pm 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.
Criticism
As a rolling news channel, BFMTV has been criticized for "accelerat[ing] reality, and creat[ing] pressure for instant solutions", as well as being conflating what it means to be "popular" and "populist" due to its pursuit of audiences. Thus other media institutions have insinuated that BFMTV has furthered the cause of Marine Le Pen, the head of the nationalist Front national political party. For example, BFMTV "star interviewer" Jean-Jacques Bourdin has been ridiculed for "rejoicing at the prospect of a President Le Pen"; such insinuations tend to arouse "fury" in the BFMTV newsroom. In March 2014 French media regulator Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel (CSA) examined BFMTV's distribution of airtime for election candidates, stating that the channel gave UMP and Socialist Party candidates limited access while allowing the Front National "persistent overrepresentation".
Daniel Schneidermann, a media commentator writing for the left-wing Libération, thinks that BFMTV "may not set out to be right-wing but it ends up that way de facto", claiming that BFMTV "over-cover[s] her" because they need good ratings and Le Pen "always gets a good audience". Similarly, Schneidermann notes that they prioritize coverage of sensational issues such as crime stories to the detriment of "social" stories. Indeed, Bourdin and another TV host Christophe Hondelatte have been described as a "duo of shock". For example, Hondelatte revealed that his pay is tied to the size of the audience he attracts.
The French media regulator Conseil supérieur de l'audiovisuel (CSA) has stated in 2014 that BFMTV allowed the Front National "persistent overrepresentation" during the 2014 French municipal elections.
BFMTV responded, claiming to "take note of this call to order" and that the news channel "will respect the law well and will reach fairness on 21 March at midnight, as it requires."
BFMTV was sued in April 2015 for its coverage of the 9 January 2015 Porte de Vincennes siege. Six hostages hiding in the Hypercacher kosher grocery store claimed that the network endangered their lives by broadcasting the fact that they were seeking refuge in the grocery's refrigerator while the siege was still ongoing.
In mid-January 2023, Rachid M'Barki, journalist who presents the night newspaper, was suspended following an internal investigation for foreign interference concerning content broadcast by the channel in troubled circumstances about the economic forum of Dakhla. According to an investigation by France Info, the "information" was provided by an Israeli agency, run by former members of the army and the secret services and specialized in influence, electoral manipulation, and disinformation.
Broadcasting
It was launched first on the French digital terrestrial television (TNT, or télévision numérique terrestre) and is broadcast free 24 hours a day, by satellite on CanalSat (see frequencies below), French digital terrestrial television, by DSL providers Free, Neuf, Orange, by mobile television on Orange and SFR, by cable provider Numericable, and live on the channel's website (via Windows Media streaming).
BFMTV has a policy called priorite au direct that mandates that live outside feeds are used whenever possible.
BFMTV is freely broadcast by satellite in DVB-S2 MPEG-4:
Hot Bird 13°E: 12.692 GHz Pol H, SR 27500 FEC 2/3, SD
Astra 19.2°E: 11.895 GHz, Pol V, SR 29700 FEC 2/3, HD encrypted in Nagravision and Viaccess
BFM TV anchors
BFMTV journalists, who tend to be young, "pride themselves on doing things differently".
Currently, the channel has 250 journalists, with 49 work on screen.
Business
Nicolas Doze
Emmanuel Lechypre
Culture
Philippe Dufreigne
Candice Mahout
Lorène de Susbielle
Hi-tech
Anthony Morel
Justice
Dominique Rizet
Politics
Éric Brunet
Anna Cabana
Ruth Elkrief
Hervé Gattegno
Bruno Jeudy
Camille Langlade
Apolline de Malherbe
Laurent Neumann
Anne Saurat-Dubois
Catherine Tricot
Sports
Thibaut Giangrande
Talk-show
Yves Calvi
Laurent Ruquier
Weather
Patricia Charbonnier
Marc Hay
Virgilia Hess
Virginie Hilssone-Lévy
Sandra Larue
Christophe Person
Loïc Rivières
Guillaume Séchet
Prix Spécial BFM Business de la Bourse
The Prix Spécial is awarded to a personality or an investment company. Performance, net flows and profile with the French and international financial communities are the key criterion retained to award the prize.