Coronavirus: The France 24 TV news channel ramps up its Covid-19 pandemic coverage for Africa's viewers.

by Thinus Ferreira

Amidst the growing global Covid-19 novel coronavirus pandemic France Médias Monde says that its media outlets, its TV news channel France 24 and its Radio France Internationale (RFI) have swung into action to help African audiences, specifically the French-speaking part of sub-Saharan Africa, with news and information.

"The programming schedules and digital offers have been adapted to focus on news and interactivity with the multilingual audience on the continent," says France Médias Monde.

France 24 broadcast as a live-stream online.

RFI and France 24 is also available across sub-Saharan African as France 24 English (StarSat 259) and France 24 French (DStv 636 / StarSat 682), while RFI also broadcasts in Hausa, Swahili, Mandika, Fula and Portuguese.

On France 24 the TV news channel has Eyes on Africa, France 24’s show dedicated to African news reports every day on the pandemic’s evolution at 23:45 and 00:45 (South African time SAST) with reports and interviews.

"Many reports on the coronavirus are shot daily by France 24's correspondents in Africa: 'Coronavirus: Kenyans stranded as capital Nairobi cordoned off', 'Sahel food insecurity: WFP warns coronavirus disrupting supplies', 'Coronavirus pandemic: 21-day nationwide lockdown begins in Zimbabwe', 'Coronavirus pandemic: South Africa 3-week lockdown comes into effect', and 'Coronavirus: Authorities across Africa brace for pandemic'," says France 24.

France 24 also offers a series of short videos with doctors from around the world. They talk about their daily life fighting the disease and the challenges they face.

Content from the France24 TV news channel now available on eMedia's OpenNews channel on Openview during twice-daily broadcast blocks.

France24 has signed an agreement for English content of France's 24-hour TV news channel to be shown on OpenNews (Openview 120) on eMedia Investment's Openview free-to-air satellite TV service.

Content from France24 can now be seen twice-daily on OpenNews during morning and afternoon programming blocks.

OpenNews launched on 1 November on Openview and does 6 hours of local TV news content on weekdays between 17:00 and 23:00, with the rest of the day cycle filled with content from international TV news channels.

South African pay-TV subscribers already have access to the linear broadcast of France24 in English on StarSat on channel 261, and on Cell C black on channel 507.

The agreement with OpenNews marks the first time that South African viewers get the ability to watch France24 for free, including viewers in other Southern African countries like Zimbabwe, Swaziland, Namibia and some parts of Botswana who also use buy South African activated Openview set-top boxes (STBs).

France24 in English is now available on OpenNews at the following times in the day's schedule:

> Monday to Friday: 08:00 - 09:00; 16:00 - 17:00 > Saturday: 06:00 - 07:00; 13:00 - 14:00 > Sunday: 06:00 - 07:00; 09:00 - 11:00 and 13:00-14:00

France 24 on the road covering the Tour de France with stories about the cycling race on the news channel at 20:15 daily.

France 24 (TopTV 402) is on the road until 20 July with a France 24 Tour de France Camping Car - covering the 35 000 km of the Tour de France race and reporting daily stories about the cycling race at 20:15 (South African time).

The Tour de France, tainted by scandalous drug revelations which happened over years, is celebrating its 100th anniversary this year.

Three journalists from France 24, France's 24-hour English news channel, is covering a wide variety of stories as the cycling race progress through the French countryside and stopping in several towns along the way.

Eve Irvine, Pauline Godart and Lyana Saleh are in the Tour de France Camping Car, introducing France 24's viewers to local culture, traditions, specialities and unusual people along the route.

France 24 turns 5 years old today; will celebrate with special programming and a specially-adapted website for today.

France 24 (TopTV 402) turns 5 years old today and the English language 24 hour news channel from France will be celebrating with special programming as well as a specially-adapted website.

In France 24's Debate François Picard will welcome various personalities to discuss the international current events highlights of the year. Reporters will look back on 2011 with the help of France 24's senior reporters, who will look and discuss everything from the Arab Spring, the fall of the Libyan regime, the political crisis in Ivory Coast to Spain's Indignados movement.

The channel's journalists will also be contributing 2 minute video clips - their own testimonials - in which they'll be talking about their memories of filming and the conditions in which the stand-out stories of 2011 were reported.

France 24 is also changing the news operations' website for today to celebrate the channel's 5th anniversary. France 24 is now filled with slide shows, videos and articles retracing 5 years of current events in images, as well as taking visitors behind the scenes to meet the people who contribute to the channel's website every day.

Programming note: France 24 covering Egypt's legislative elections with special weekend pre-programmes; special live coverage on Monday.

The 24 hour English news channel France 24 (TopTV 402) will be covering Egypt's legislative elections taking place this Monday, 28 November, with special live coverage and special reports on the day, as well as special pre-programmes today and Sunday.

François Picard will present special programmes today and tomorrow at 14:10 on France 24 from Cairo on the themes of youth and the Revolution, Egypt's new elite and the new Egyptian identity. ''What is the new face of Egypt? What is the future of democracy there? Who are the people building and reflecting on the Egyptian society of the future?''

On Monday 28 November France 24 will have several reports about what's at stake in this Egyptian election in the Live from Paris morning show as well as in bulletins.

Focus at 07:15 will have a lengthy report with commentators and correspondents in Egypt.

The Debate at 19:10 with presenter François Picard with guests, will analyse the election's initial trends.

BREAKING. France 24 adds France Bon Appétit, a brilliant new weekly magazine show exploring French cuisine and French gastronomy.

The English 24 hour news channel France 24 (TopTV 402) is adding a brilliant new weekly magazine show, France Bon Appétit, to its schedule on Saturdays at 13:10 (South African time) which will be exploring the best of French cuisine and French gastronomy from chefs to food writers, from farmers to consumers, and from French bakers to wine-makers.

The quality blue-hue news channel that broadcasts worldwide from France has added France Bon Appétit with the promise to bring viewers a new weekly magazine programme that will be exploring ''the latest in food trends in France''.

France Bon Appétit will repeat throughout the week on France 24 after a new episode every Saturday on (South African times) Saturdays at 16:51, Sundays at 21:40 and 00:52, Mondays at 10:53 and 13:41 and on Wednesdays at 04:52.

France Bon Appétit ''will also feature new trends in food and eating in France, the latest restaurants, the big events and all the food news to satisfy the curiosity of the many lovers of French food. The show will travel to France's many regions, getting out and about to film French gastronomy at the source''.

''When foreigners think of France, what first comes to mind is of course it's food and wine, the richness of its products,'' says Renée Kaplan, deputy editorial director of France 24. ''Food and fine eating are part of the very identity of France. It's a natural, even necessary topic, for a network like France 24.''

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.''