French TV

With very little in the way of TéléMatin. There are some VTs from the columnists who are all at home, which jar with the largely rolling news format, along with 4V (Les Quatre Vérités) which feels more at home on Franceinfo than on TéléMatin.

Also worth noting that if you watch on France 2, the lower thirds are largely missing except for the yellow strap and have the TéléMatin clock.

A look at how France Télévisions are providing educational programming during COVID-19, alongside flagship show La Maison Lumni, which goes out on France 2, 3, 4 and 5 at various times of the day from their VR studio.

https://business.panasonic.co.uk/professional-camera/case-study/France_TV_La_Maison_Lumni_Virtual_Studio (In English).

France 5's La Quotidienne now resembles a Zoom conference call.

A look at France 2's breakdown loop during an edition of TéléMatin on 24th April 2020.

The April ratings are in:

https://www.ozap.com/actu/audiences-avril-tf1-petit-leader-france-2-en-forme-m6-reprend-des-couleurs-arte-rmc-decouverte-et-lci-au-plus-haut/592642

BFMTV being joint 5th with France 5 is unheard of in the UK market even during a pandemic. News channels simply don't rate as well as a standalone.

As I have a parent who is French speaking, her viewing habits have changed when her regular daytime shows are now repeating old editions. C8's strand of animal related shows on weekday mornings have proved to be popular with my mother, followed by France 2's lockdown matinee film.

I don't know with the relaxing of the lockdown in France from May 11th will see some regular programming return in the near future.

Are RMC, which look to be sister channels of BFMTV, general programming channels?

I believe RMC Découverte initially focused on documentaries, but judging from its current lineup, it seems to be going the rednecks-on-parade route, much like Discovery and the History Channel.



It's also interesting that BFM TV, LCI, and C News all saw large year-to-year gains due to the pandemic, but Franceinfo TV didn't and even managed to finish dead last among the FTA channels. They seem to be doing something wrong, their wonderful on-air look notwithstanding.

Could it be at a time of crisis you turn to what you know and trust the best?

France 2 have reinstated their weekday afternoon programming. Ca Commence Aujourd'hui is back in the studio with only the presenter and expert in the studio, with guests on Skype/Zoom and a new opening title sequence showing people at home on webcams.

Je t'aime, etc is also back later this afternoon, as the trailer with presenter Daphne Burki was at home, I suspect it'll be largely Zoom based.

TéléMatin by Franceinfo continues, alongside weather forecasts being produced from home.

EDIT: Je t'aime, etc is also back in the studio with the main presenter on the catwalk or at the desk and two columnists using the desk social distancing. Guests are on Skype.

TF1's Les 12 coups de midi is back in the studio without an audience.

France 2's version of Don't Forget the Lyrics has a unique way of resolving their audience issues.

This French TV show has solved social distancing issues by replacing its studio audience with creepy balloon mannequins. pic.twitter.com/yZP97N8dOm

— Chuck Thomas (@chuckthomasuk) May 13, 2020