frfilmtv1-8, Exercise 1: ORTF

Model answer:

The ORTF (Office de radiodiffusion-television francaise, reorganised in 1964) was the state broadcaster with a public monopoly on radio and television. In 1974 it was broken up into separate state companies, including TF1, Antenne 2 and FR3, to introduce competition between channels while keeping them in public hands.

Independence of the news was a constant argument because government influence over the evening bulletin was a standing complaint, and after the strikes of May 1968 journalists were reportedly punished. It raised the question of whether a state broadcaster could report freely.