Wednesday, June 22, 2011

Programming note: News channel France 24 starts a series of debates entitled European Encounters, kicking off with Poland today.

Paris flash! (sorry. Couldn't resist.) The Paris-based 24 hour English news channel France 24 (TopTV 402) is launching a series of TV debates starting today, entitled France 24 European Encounters.

France 24 has decided to host a series of debates from several European cities with France 24 European Encounters that will be recorded in cities such as Warsaw, Madrid, Rome, London, Berlin and Istanbul.

France 24 European Encounters kick off today in Poland (it was recorded yesterday with the title ''Poland: A new model for Europe?'') at 18:15 (South African time). France 24 European Encounters will be presented by France 24 journalists and will consist of 40 minute debates on the social, political and economic issues shaping each country and its position in Europe today.

''From the prolonged global economic crisis to the revolts in the Arab world just outside Europe's borders, international events are changing the traditional world order and we felt it was important to go and meet our European viewers,'' says Alain de Pouzilhac, CEO of France 24. ''By provoking debates, through confrontation of viewpoints and diversity of opinions, France 24 wishes to find out more about European perceptions on national identity and shaping Europe.''